From Where We Left Off
by TrulySweet
Summary: (His Arrival) My whole body froze when my grandmother's voice reached my ears. She hadn't let Den in after all...With the slowest possibility of movement, I rotated my feet and gaze towards the kitchen doorway. Two shoed feet stood only a few feet away from me. Time had stopped, and I immediately became aware of my exposed body. TAKES PLACE AFTER BROTHERHOOD'S PROMISE DAY. EDxWIN
1. Who Let Den In?

This story takes place after brotherhood - a few months after the situation between Edward and Winry at the train station. I hope you enjoy! Please review kindly!

Thank you!

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WINRY'S POV

COMPLETE FEAR. That is what I felt. My heart beat with the force of a thousand drums within my chest. My hands shook with nerves as I attempted to adjust the customer's automail arm. He peered over shortly, studying my sweaty palms with amusement.

"Are you alright Miss?" He asked. I dropped a box of screws at the question and scurried to the ground to hide my growing discomfort.

"Yes! I'm just a bit on edge...I have a visitor coming today. It's kind of an important situation we are in." I said while frantically looking for the silver spirals of doom that littered the wooden floor boards. I swore as a splinter caught the skin of my pinky.

"Ah yes, your grandmother mentioned you had a visitor today! What was the young lad's name again?" The man smiled, bending over and picking a screw up from the floor.

"Edward. Edward Elric." I stuttered out. "I haven't seen him in a few months. He has been doing research outside of the area. It will be nice to see him but I'll never tell him that. He gives off the persona that he is quite the big deal. Actually...I think it's his ego that made him grow. You see he used to be pretty short..." I trailed off. A blush crept across my face and stained my cheeks pink. " I'm sorry! I normally act much more professional than this! We are just very good friends." I laughed and began to scratch the back of my head, only to forget the fistful of screws I held and to hear them clink to the floor again. _"Wait...friends? Are we just friends? We clearly established at the train station that we felt deeper feelings than that. But we hadn't spoken much of it after that moment - although he had tried to bring the topic back up on our last phone call..."_ I stared at the splinter protruding from my finger, deeply lost in my own thoughts. I had shut down that conversation as fast as he brought it up. Now that I think about it, I became so overwhelmed by my own embarrassment that I abruptly hung up the phone on him. I growled in frustration and pressed my fingers to my temple.

My thoughts became immediately interrupted by the squeaking of the door hinges. I whipped my head towards the sound, feeling my heart stop.

"Winry? Winry You were supposed to be done with his arm half an hour ago! What are you doing? Why are screws all over the floor?" Granny huffed, irritation lingering in her wrinkled features. I stuttered something incoherent as I tried to get my head on straight.

"Oh it's perfectly fine. The poor girl seems to have quite a day ahead of her. I've enjoyed her company either way." The older gentleman chuckled, waving his hand at the situation. He pushed his glasses upwards, smiling up at me with amusement. Before I could bring myself to apologize, Granny shushed me away with her smoke-filled pipe and began to work on his automail. I quietly signaled my apologies to the older man and carefully snuck past my annoyed grandmother. For such a small woman, she sure was a spitfire. I played with my hair as my feet clunked down the hallway. In fact, I wish I could take even the smallest amount of my grandmother's confident structure right now. Just to get through this stomach-flopping, throat-tightening moment I currently could not escape.

I missed him as soon as he had stepped onto the train. I watched his tall broad shoulders move through the cart and sit down next to the window to give me one last sign off. I remember my feet feeling planted to the stone ground and the inability to move from the shock of the situation. Thoughts whirling around in my head as I tried to determine whether or not the love of my life just confessed similar feelings. We stared at each other through the train's glass window that separated us. I still can't get it out of my head what he did next. He had never been so bold as to be flirtatious. If anyone were to ever even mention the possibility of being in love, he would throw himself into a fit of rumbling loud rage of detest. But he wasn't a child anymore, and neither was I. As the train began to move, I watched as he smirked at me, and gave me the most unexpected gesture. He winked at me, and I could bet my life on it that my face couldn't be any more contorted by the shock of it all.

I hit the wall that led to my room, embarrassed by the thought. I picked up a shirt that I had thrown onto the floor earlier and carelessly tossed it into the corner.

" _I still have at least an hour to kill before his train arrives..."_ With this thought I began to rummage through my clothing drawer. I was more of a comfort for wear kind of girl. I became fussy and irritable if my clothes felt uncomfortable. I honestly don't know how some of those women wear such things. Sure, you look sexy, but how the heck do you eat with a girdle from hell? I heard the man down the hall thank my grandmother. I waited briefly for the sound of the door to close. As soon as I heard the wood collide, I reckoned it safe to walk around freely in my bra and panties. Tossing my grease stained clothes to the corner with other discarded articles of clothing, I walked out of my room, feeling a bit less concerned with my visit and more concerned with the cold breeze that hit my exposed skin. (You would think that would have indicated for me to turn around.)

I could hear Den barking from outside and brushed it off as the older gentlemen walking passed him. Goosebumps began to form on my arms as I crossed them to attempt warmth. Den continued to bark with excitement and I rolled my eyes at his persistence. The screen door clanked at the spring - I assumed Granny had let Den inside through the kitchen door. I continued my journey to the kitchen sink, beginning to feel a bit weary from my earlier nerves. Den nudged my hand, panting and whining as I reached up for a glass from the cupboards.

"Calm down Den. I'll get you a treat in a minute okay?" I sighed as I readjusted my bra strap to sit more comfortably on my shoulder. But Den was not having it, continuing to whine and nudged my hand once more.

"Winry? Did you let Den in? I'm still cleaning up in here and I think he wants in!"

My whole body froze when my grandmother's voice reached my ears. She hadn't let Den in after all...With the slowest possibility of movement, I rotated my feet and gaze towards the kitchen doorway. Two shoed feet stood only a few feet away from me. Time had stopped, and I immediately became aware of my exposed body. I could feel my chest rise with every heart beat. With the movement of a sloth, my head traced up the body until my widened eyes locked in contact with another pair of eyes.

Blue orbs meeting golden orbs.

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If you can, please leave a review on what you think of my story so far! I'll try to be quick with my updates as I know the feeling of having to wait for chapters to come out! Please be nice and review without flames. I LOVE Fullmetal Alchemist and would never try to write something that didn't do our favorite couple justice. ;) Thank you for reading!


	2. The Tango of Insults

Hi again! Here is chapter 2! I hope you enjoy this story and are as excited as I am about it! I absolutely love and adore Edward and Winry as a couple and have tried to stick true to their characters. (Edward's temper, Winry's great aim.) hahahaha. Please review kindly and enjoy!

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WINRY's POV

The only noise that could be heard from the room was Den's small whines for attention from one of us. Despite the cold breeze that crept underneath the screen door, every inch of my body was engulfed in a hot frenzy of embarrassment. Sure, he'd seen me in a tube top before, but this was different..this was more intimate. This was attire you kept personal until you became...well, intimate. Neither of us moved and we continued to stare in shock at the other. Den growled at this in protest to us ignoring his need to be acknowledged. With one last growl, Den pushed his head against my leg, causing the glass of water I held to spill down the front of me. I squeaked in surprise at the cold sensation and let out a rambling of profanities towards the pup. My eyes darted around for the roll of paper towels that I had forgotten to replace earlier. These tiny insignificant choices were now biting me in the ass. But it was in mere seconds where our eyes came into contact again, only his seemed to be taking in the situation now. I followed his eyes that slunk down to the water slowly dripping down my body. I quickly began to look for a way out of the embarrassing hell we were both plastered in, and finally found my saving grace. Within seconds, my fingers curled around a big wooden spoon sitting on the counter, and with my quickest capability, I threw it at him. He let out a pained yell as he went flying to the ground. I high-fived myself mentally when I realized my moment of escape had finally come. I turned on my heel to make a run for my room. The worst of the situation finally coming to a close!

"Brother!? Are you alright?!"

Again my body froze at the sound of a younger man's voice. My head kept sending signals for my feet to move but my body stayed stuck in place. _"AL?!"_

"What happened!?" Alphonse asked, kneeling to the floor to tend to his brother's now gushing head wound.

"What do you think Al! That crazy woman threw something at me!" Edward groaned, whipping his arm to point in my direction. Alphonse turned towards me while pressing a cloth to his brother's head wound.

"Winry? Why aren't you dressed?" Alphonse asked, a blush forming on his face as he darted his eyes back to his brother. Before I could even form some sort of reply, he had already begun to make assumptions. "BROTHER! You couldn't wait to be in a more private area?!"

If there was ever an opportune moment to suddenly die, this would be it for me.

"It's not like that! I walked in and she was prancing around naked! How was I suppose to know that she decided to flaunt herself at me!" Edward growled, wiping blood away from his forehead.

Oh god strike me dead. "Flaunt?! I wasn't flaunting myself! This is my home! I can walk around like this freely! You weren't even supposed to be here yet!" I screamed back at him. My embarrassment began to fade as anger took over.

"Well it's gross! And you're scaring Alphonse so why don't you go put clothes on like a normal human being!?" Edward remarked back. He stood up and huffed towards me, peering down. My blood began to boil. Poor Alphonse continued to sit on the floor, watching the situation unravel into a violent banter.

"Brother that's not-" Alphonse tried to cut in, but was immediately cut off by my retort to his older brother's comment.

"GROSS? GROSS?! Well you won't have to worry about that! You'll never see me like this again!"

"FINE WITH ME! I ONLY CAME FOR MAINTENANCE ANYWAYS!"

"OHHHH. BUT I'M TOO GROSS TO WORK ON YOUR LEG REMEMBER?"

"AS LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON AROUND ME!" He yelled. Our noses almost touched as we continued to glare at each other. Edward stuck his chin up in the air and smirked down at me. "Or maybe this was your plan all along, to seduce me!"

If looks could kill...I heard Alphonse gulp as he backed into the corner of the kitchen, protecting Den from the obvious upcoming wave of flying objects he knew was coming. I clenched my teeth and spotted a pan on the drying rack. As soon as Edward turned his gaze back to me, I swung the pan instantly and felt it connect with his face. Again, Edward went flying to the ground, a red mark forming across his face. Alphonse ran to his brother, grabbing paper towels to aid to his new wound.

"How's that for gross!" I huffed. I whistled for Den to follow me as I stomped down the hallway towards my room. Granny peered over to me as I walked by and just shook her head. "After you get dressed, make sure he doesn't bleed out completely. He's a nice paycheck for us." Granny remarked as she continued to clean the grease smothered tools. I huffed in response and grabbed my door, slamming it as hard as I could against the door frame.

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I relaxed in the shower for a good 20 minutes before deciding I would have to face the music from earlier. I sighed as I opened my drawer looking for shorts. I debated on choosing a tube top, but I didn't want to come off as GROSS to a certain someone. I settled for a black tank top and fixed my drawer before closing it. His comment had made me become aware of my body as I began to debate whether I should just wear pants. I didn't want to make him sick from my shorts not being long enough. I scoffed and decided to tell myself that I simply didn't care what he thought as I slid the tank top over my head and angrily yanked up my shorts.

"Stupid. This is stupid. He's stupid!" I reluctantly left the comfort of my room and headed towards the living area where I found Edward slumped on the couch with disapproval, holding the same bloody cloth to his head. I could hear Alphonse chatting away with Granny down the hall, leaving me to deal with Ed's pleasant being.

"Idiot. You didn't even clean it?" I asked, quickly walking into the bathroom and grabbing bandages from the medicine cabinet. I wet a clean cloth with luke warm water and tucked the antiseptic under my arm. He scoffed at me when I walked back into the living room.

"Did I cause this?"

I rolled my eyes at his stubborn remark and sat down next to him, pulling away the dirty cloth and gently dabbing away the blood with the clean one. He continued to mutter under his breath as I leaned in closer to examine his cut. I reached for the antiseptic and began to place it over the wound.

"That hurts!" He winced, pulling away from me.

"You've been in near death experiences plenty of times and this is painful to you?" I snapped. He tried to turn his head away but I grabbed his chin and forced it back in my direction.

"Maybe if you had more of a woman's touch!"

"What woman would want to touch you!" I retorted. He was being so pissy.

"You're touching me aren't you?!" He fired back.

"Only because I'm trying to clean up your wound!"

"Maybe that's why it burns!" He pushed my hands away and crossed his arms. He was testing my patience to no end. I bit my lip and decided to keep my comments to myself. I picked up the bandage and lifted his bangs to begin dressing the area. He didn't try to fight me off at this point and we remained quiet during those few minutes. I heard him sigh.

"I didn't mean it."

I looked at him, confused. "Didn't mean what?" I asked, now curious.

I watched his face turn to a dark shade of red as he fumbled to give me an answer.

"When I said you were gross. I don't think you look gross...without clothes." Edward pulled at his shirt collar, clearly not happy with how his sentence ended up forming. I felt my face heat up and my eyes go wide. I wasn't sure how to respond. I almost preferred that he had continued to make snarky comments because I at least had a response to those! I rested my hands in my lap and studied the carpet that suddenly became extremely interesting to look at. The awkward tension continued to build as we sat in silence, keeping our gazes off of each other. I felt his body shift on the couch, but I didn't dare look over.

"Look, Winry. I've been meaning to talk to you about-"

"Ah! It's fine! I already know I'm not gross! I get a lot of attention anyways from male customers! I don't need you to find me attractive because I already know I am! Hahahahahaha!" I rambled nervously, putting on a show of confidence. I knew I sounded ridiculous.

"What? No I'm talking about at the train sta-" I again cut Edward off by quickly putting my hand over his mouth. I continued to laugh nervously, not really sure by my actions.

"You know what? You must be hungry! I'll go...run and get you something from the market and then we can have a look at your leg! Okay that sounds like a plan!" I paced quickly over to the coat rack and pushed my arms into my jacket, continuing my nervous spree of laughter and smiles. Edward stared at me confused and got up from the couch and walked over to me.

"Winry." He said, annoyed.

"I won't be long! I know what you like!" I chimed in an overly delightful tone, but he wasn't buying it. He attempted to move closer to me with a look that made my skin feel hot, and for a moment it felt like my body froze. That same determined look from the train station months ago.

"Winry where are you going?"

Just as time felt like it froze, my body was able to function again at the sound of Alphonse's voice. I smiled in relief.

"I'm going to the market to get some stuff for dinner! I'll be right back! Bye!" I yelled as I quickly closed the door and skipped the porch steps to make a fast get away. My heart raced inside my chest as images of Edward's determined look flashed inside my head.

"This is not going as planned..."

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EDWARD's POV

I stared at the door, wanting to kick it off it's hinges. I sighed and turned towards my younger brother who looked back at me, confused. We both walked over to the window, watching Winry walk down the path in a hurried manner.

"So...she's not making this easy, is she?" Alphonse stated.

"Nope." I crossed my arms and huffed.

"I thought you said you worked this out at the train station?" Alphonse persisted.

"I did! She's just being a crazy woman!"

"Well, maybe you weren't clear enough with her Ed."

I slowly turned my head towards him and squinted with annoyance. "I was clear! I referenced equivalent exchange!"

My younger brother's kind face twisted into his own annoyance. He rolled his eyes and tossed his hands in the air.

"Unbelievable. Looks like you really aren't going to see her undressed again." Alphonse stated walking away. I heard him try to contain a chuckle as he continued down the hall to the guest room. I gritted my teeth and stomped off to my own room, irritated by how the day had gone. I kicked off my boots and let my body hit the bed. Instantly thoughts from earlier in the kitchen began to whirlwind inside my brain. I blushed as the image of Winry's curves entered into my head. The way my eyes followed the drops of water slide down in between her breasts. I growled and threw the pillow over my face. Deciding that a nap was my only time killer until she got back, I pushed her out of my head the best I could and shut my eyes tightly.

"This is not going the way I planned."

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Thank you so much for reading my second chapter! I hope you like it so far! The ideas continue to come to me as I write each chapter, but feel free to review your own ideas if you'd like! I love hearing back from my readers. :) Please review kindly! And thank you for your patience!


	3. Eric

Alrighty Chapter 3! I thought it would be fun to tell you what I listened to while writing this chapter. Michael Buble "Nobody but me" (^-^) Review kindly please and enjoy!  
Thank you!

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WINRY'S POV

I slowly walked up and down the lanes of food, not really focusing on the task at hand. My heart was still racing and my skin tingled at the very thought of Edward. Up until the moment at the train station, I had never seen him look at me with such determination. I had seen him determined his whole life, but never had I seen him focus that sort of purpose at me. It excited something in me that made me feel anticipated with what else was to come...which confused me as to why I was acting the way I did. I've been wanting to throw myself at him since my own discovered feelings of love, yet here I was, standing in the middle of the market while he waited for me to come home. I continued to dwell on the reason for my nervous tactics while picking out groceries for dinner. Was I nervous about sex? I squeaked at the thought. My thoughts had been far from innocent about him, and if initiated I would give myself to him if he asked me to. We weren't children anymore, we were adults. And I knew right away from the way his eyes traced my body earlier that he didn't have such innocent thoughts either, but neither of us would admit our obvious attractions. I started feeling light-headed from my contemplations that I didn't realize someone approaching me.

"Hey Winry! You need help getting groceries?"

I turned towards the voice and relaxed at the happy face that warmly smiled at me. He was my age, and his bright green eyes always held a sincere smile of their own. His light blonde hair bounced around from the slight breeze as he approached me.

"Hi Eric! How's your mother doing?" I asked, smiling in return to his kind face. Honestly, I was more than happy to have any distraction right now.

"She's doing better! Her surgery went well and they were able to remove her appendix with no problem. My father will be ecstatic to have her back home, he's kind of hopeless without her there." He laughed.

"I'm so happy to hear that! I will have to tell Granny once I get home. She's been meaning to make a visit with some spare parts for your family cat. I heard the last time she worked on his leg he bit her on her ankle!" I chuckled, picturing my tiny grandmother throwing a fit at the tiny orange kitty.

"Yeah...I don't know why my mother insisted on naming him Happy. It contradicts his evil nature. Hahaha!" Eric remarked with laughter. "Speaking of parts, I actually am due for some maintenance on my arm again, would you mind me scheduling an appointment with you right now? When are you free?"

"I can actually take a look at your arm tonight really quick! Granny would love to see you too, why don't you join us for dinner? That way you can take leftovers to your dad so he doesn't starve." I grinned. The poor man couldn't cook an egg if his life depended on it.

Eric blushed slightly at the offer. "If I'm not intruding I would love to! You're so kind Winry!"

I smiled at him and tossed a large bag of rice over his shoulder. "Hey you're working for this! You get to carry the heavier stuff home!"

We laughed in unison and he nodded in agreement, adjusting the bag of rice on his shoulder. I continued to pick out groceries and catch up with Eric. Little did he know how much of a blessing he currently was to my mind. I could finally start to feel at ease from what was waiting for me at home. Eric had come to be a good friend of our family, although he had never met Edward and Alphonse, our families had become close due to our automail business.

After finding everything I needed for dinner, we started on our path home, laughing about his cat when it first was arranged with automail.

"I remember that! He just rolled around everywhere instead of walking on his prosthetic!" I laughed, gripping the paper bag of food.

"My mother and your grandmother chased him around trying to get him to walk, but all you could see was this orange ball of fur tumbling around everywhere!" Eric exclaimed.

I held the groceries close to my stomach as my abdomen muscles pulled from my laughter. With my free hand I wiped away the tears that gathered around my eyes and let out one last chuckle.

"So how has your two friends been? Alphonse...and Edward, right?"

I stopped in my tracks, the color in my face draining away. Holy crap. I completely forgot he hasn't met them yet. Was I worried about him meeting Alphonse? of course not! Alphonse was the sweetest gentleman - he loved meeting new people! They would probably form a friendship as soon as they shook hands since they both resembled a pleasant nature. But...Edward?

"Winry, what's wrong?" Eric asked, as he sensed the change in atmosphere.

Edward was the complete opposite of his brother. And with how strange we were already acting around each other, how was he going to feel about Eric being there? I knew I had no romantic feelings for Eric. He was handsome, bright and charming, but I always looked at him as a brother, and he had never displayed any feelings of affection towards me in that way. We were simply friends and nothing beyond that.

"Um...you'll actually be meeting them both tonight! You'll get along with Alphonse right away. He's just like you! Extremely kind and very sociable with others." I beamed.

"And Edward, what's he like? He's our age isn't he?"

I continued walking but paused as I tried to think of how to describe Edward. Easily angered, snarky, loud, overly confident, handsome beyond words...

"He's...he's...unique." I said, forcing a smile in hopes that it didn't create a nervous tension for the poor guy.

"Ahhhh, so you like him?" He elbowed me gently and winked.

I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. I knew my face was enough evidence and I knew the answer too. I loved that jerk more than anything. My head shot up at the sound of barking. Den was bounding up towards us with his tongue hitting the side of his face. He loved it when Eric visited. Little did I know that Den's barking was a wake up call for a hungry and cranky blonde haired man.

Eventually getting past my happy dog, I opened the door, praying that Edward was not waiting for me in the living room still. I let out a sigh of relief when we were greeted by Granny.

"Ah, Eric! It's so nice to see you. I've been meaning to visit your mother at the hospital. Your father called the other day and said her surgery went well. That's good to hear." Granny took a whiff of her pipe and smiled warmly.

"Thank you Auntie Pinako!" Eric exclaimed.

 _"Oh Eric...please don't say that in front of Edward..."_ I thought to myself, my nerves beginning to rise once again.

"Winry! You're back!"

I turned to see Alphonse with his usual sincere grin planted on his face.

"Alphonse, I'd like you to meet Eric. He's going to be staying for dinner with us!" I smiled at the friendly atmosphere that was already portrayed between the two. Alphonse truly was a kind soul. He shook Eric's hand with familiarity, his smile spreading across his face.

"It's nice to meet you Eric!" He exclaimed.

"Eric, would you like to help me take these groceries into the kitchen?" Granny asked as she took the bag from me. Eric nodded and began to head off first - that's when both Granny and Alphonse looked at me like I had just invited him to his death. I tilted my head at them and mouthed 'What?' Alphonse gently grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side once we were alone.

"Winry! You know how brother is! Even Granny knows this isn't going to go well!"

"What are you talking about Alphonse?" I acted dumb, but I knew what he meant, and I honestly wasn't very sure about the situation myself...

"Have you watched National Geographic? It's a clear description of what kind of male Ed is when other males are around!" He whispered urgently. I couldn't help but laugh at this statement. It was absolutely ridiculous.

"Al, you're panicking. Everything will be fine. Ed's never been THAT bothered by meeting people before. And after dinner I said I would check on his automail really quick and he will be off on his way. " I said calmly. But Alphonse knew better. I was definitely being eaten away inside by my nerves, and the last feeling I felt was a sense of calm nature.

"Winry, you know why Ed's here!" Alphonse said, his whispers growing into a normal tone. A tone that was way too loud for the choice of topic.

I again played off with a dumbfounded expression, to which Alphonse called it quits and realized that Edward and I were going to make this hard for ourselves. He heaved a heavy sigh. "Good luck with that." He said, patting my shoulder for comfort as he walked into the kitchen. I could hear him beginning a conversation with Eric in order not to appear rude.

I soon followed into the kitchen to begin to prepare dinner.

"Go ahead and relax, I got this Granny." I stated, gesturing my grandmother to go sit. She gladly took the opportunity to go sit outside on the porch, taking Den along with her. I guess she knew what was coming too once Edward was made aware of our guest. I knew he would show up as soon as I started cooking. The smell of food wafting through the air always brought him front and center.

"You'll have to excuse my brother. He can be-"

"Obnoxious?" I cut in. Alphonse shook his head at me.

"Edward is a good guy, he's just not very good at...showing it?" Alphonse said. He scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous chuckle.

"I'm sure I won't have a problem with him. Winry and I are good friends so I don't see why Edward and I couldn't be. I was quite taken by her kindness when she began working on my arm. I've never had a mechanic that cared that much for her customers. She is one of a kind! And definitely the most beautiful mechanic I've ever met!" Eric winked at me from his seat, but I barely noticed due to the foreboding figure that leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, looking rather unamused by what he had just heard. Poor poor Eric...his words were innocent but from the look in those golden eyes that glared daggers at him - he might as well have just shot himself.

Eric turned around and noticed Edward standing there. The room grew quiet as Alphonse and I watched in horrific anticipation of what could happen. It was Alphonse who decided to put his neck on the line.

"This is Eric! A friend of Winry's! He's staying for dinner. He's currently studying Medicine. Isn't that great brother? He wants to be a doctor. He's a very nice guy that means absolutely no harm at all!" Alphonse laughed nervously. His poor attempts to shield Eric from his older brother's fury were not going to subside Edward's obvious jealousy.

Edward still didn't crack a smile. He walked over to Eric and held out his hand to him.

"I'm Edward." He stated without any of the friendly warmth his brother held. Eric stood from his seat and took Edward's hand into his own, he gripped it with confidence.

"It's nice to meet you. Alphonse was just telling me about your travels and research. Your life sounds fascinating. I've never really left Risembool so I'm not aware of the life outside of this little town."

Edward still kept the same grimace, his eyes shooting in my direction. I quickly looked back to the rice and brushed off his charade of Alpha Male.

Attempting to win over Edward, Eric persisted, "You must have noticed how beautiful Winry looks today, right Edward?"

 _"Eric stop freaking talking!"_ I screamed eternally. I peered over at Alphonse with a pleading look to help fix the already awkward moment we were trapped in. He pulled at the collar of his shirt and started laughing.

"So do you need help with dinner at all Winry?" Alphonse smiled with the same pleading look in his eyes. Edward's gaze was unflinching, even at the mention of food. Before I could reply, Granny came in from outside with her hands on her hips. She observed the situation from the doorway and with a heaving sigh, she propped up a step stool and reached up into the cupboards. I watched curiously as she pulled a rather large (and not to mention half empty...) bottle of whiskey out from the shelving unit. Within seconds she had slammed the bottle down in front of Edward.

"Ed, I think you should have a drink. Maybe it will bring out a hidden friendlier side to you." She whacked him in the back of the head and he growled in response.

"Why? Does it bring a friendlier side to YOU?" He retorted, smirking at his witty comment. Alphonse gulped and slowly pulled back his chair. Eric stood up from his chair to clear a path for my agitated tiny grandmother and began to walk over to me...From the way Edward's eyes followed his target - I would say it wasn't the safer move.

"Can I help you with anything?" He smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder. I could feel Edward's intense eyes staring towards my direction. If he only had gotten to known Eric, he could have easily discovered that he was simply friendly in nature. He meant no harm in his complimentary and helpful notions. I was starting to grow annoyed by the amount of testosterone in the house and began to miss just having Granny and I working on blue prints for newer models while our dinners became cold and forgotten.

"I'm actually done, if you could just bring the stew over to the table and I'll bring the rice and bread rolls." I gripped the side of his arm softly as a silent thanks as Edward and Granny's voices grew louder, throwing insults back and forth like bouncing acrobats. Poor Alphonse sat in the middle with wide puppy-dog eyes, beads of sweat forming at the base of his hairline from the anxiety they were causing him.

"Look brother! Food!" Alphonse squeaked in hopes that his older brother would calm down. Edward's face melted at the sight of the stew and a cheeky grin grew on his face. Had I just given him something to snack on earlier, maybe the conversation would've taken a lighter turn. I was a bit surprised on how calm Eric acted around all of the chaos. It didn't seem to bother him, not nearly as much as it had crawled under Edward's skin. I was about to take my seat beside Eric, when Alphonse nearly pounced onto my chair. He looked up at me with the same pleading look, silently begging for me to sit next to Edward. I sighed and consented, realizing it was probably the best way to keep the peace. Granny sat at the head of the table beside me, scooting her chair closer to the bread rolls.

"Thank you again for inviting me Winry. Your stew has become one of my favorite meals." Eric praised, reaching for the rice. Unfortunately this statement had snapped Edward from his calm state into a dangerous calamity. I moved at the speed of light as soon as I saw his mouth open in protest and shoved food into his lips. He looked at me with irritation lingering in his features but decided to take it out on the piece of food he chewed violently.

"It's no problem at all Eric! We really enjoy having your family here with us for dinner. Especially Granny since your dad has become her drinking partner." We all chuckled lightly, well except for Edward who stabbed at his rice with such force I was worried he would break the plate. He continued to do this as Alphonse made conversation with Eric to help ease his brother's tension that filled the room. I wanted to stab him with my own chopsticks, but decided to squeeze his knee as a warning instead of drawing undesired attention. I shot my hand down and pressed my fingers into his leg without looking down. But the sudden change of Edward's face had shown that I had placed my hand much higher than his knee. I slowly looked to the placement of my hand and saw my fingers caressing his upper thigh, my fingers brushing almost against a particular area...

At that moment, I could feel every cell in my body burst into flames and my skin grew feverishly hot. We both stared down at my hand, frozen in place. Slowly we brought our gazes to meet the other, and once again his golden specked eyes flickered with a passion that made my heart stop. After what seemed like forever, I squeaked and quickly removed my hand. I could still feel the contact on my fingertips and felt my breath catch in the back of my throat. Both of our chests seemed to rise and fall quickly from our heartbeats, and I found myself stuck in a dazed cloudy state. From the corner of my eye I saw Edward quickly snatch the whiskey bottle off the table, catching the attention from the other three who were unaware of our moment.

"Edward, you drink?" Eric asked, almost amazed by the force Ed threw his head back to take in the burning liquid as fast as possible.

"No...he doesn't..." Alphonse replied in response to his new friend's question, face-palming himself at his brother's poor decisions. Eric stared bewildered, and then focused his stare onto my face. He instantly became alarmed.

"Winry, you look ill. Are you feeling alright? Your face is all flushed." With concern, Eric leaned across the table to place his hand on my forehead, but before his fingers made contact Edward had drawn everyone's attention with his chair scraping against the floor boards.

"You're right Eric. Winry does look ill. In fact she looks awful." Edward flatly stated, tucking the bottle under his arm. Had I been in my right mind I would've beat him with whatever object was close. "You look like you could use some air. I'll clean up the dishes when I get back so you can work on Eric's automail, is that okay with you?" Edward said facing Granny. He wasn't really asking for permission, seeing as he pulled out my chair, ready to put me over his shoulder by force if he had to. She nodded in response, barely looking up at us.

"You're both adults, but doing the dishes means washing them Ed, not throwing them away. And you can go pick me up another whiskey tomorrow while you're at it." She huffed, unamused by having no alcohol left. I watched Edward's mouth form a smirk.

"Old lady, I'll buy you the whole store if you want me to." He laughed deviously, throwing his arm around my waist. "Nice to meet ya Eric." Ed mustered out, raising his eyebrows while he beamed his gaze down at the pair of green eyes. Alphonse squinted at his brother completely lost at the sudden and extremely noticeable changes. But before Al could even question what took place, Edward had snagged me off my chair and dragged me outside to the porch, the door slamming behind us. The last thing the porch light reflected was his golden eyes looking at me in a way that made me feel like fire rested in my lower abdomen. I would never admit it to him, but it excited the hell out of me.

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Yay! I've had a lot of fun writing this story so far and hope you all have enjoyed it too! Please be kind in your reviews and don't be shy to express your excitement for what will happen next! See you all in the next chapter! ;)  
Thank you!


	4. Drunken Touches

Hey everyone! If you get a chance, please leave a review. Please be kind. I'm obviously not an author professionally and share a love for our favorite couple like you do! :)

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Edward's POV

I pulled Winry away from the house and down the dirt road. With what just happened - I was the one who needed the air. Ever since I had arrived Winry had been driving me crazy. We could never get a moment alone to talk. And every time I tried she made an excuse to leave. Luckily my studies had me educated on body language, and this time she wasn't going to run away. I felt slightly woozy pacing so fast with alcohol in my system, but I shook it off and continued towards the pond from our childhood for some much needed privacy. I hated how she acted like I wasn't affected by her actions. I was a grown man! A grown man that came here for one purpose, and that purpose being her! Her nearly naked body flashed in my mind and I took another swoosh from the bottle, not breaking my speed.

"Edward!" I heard her protest. She tried to free her hand from my grip, but no matter how embarrassed she was - she was not leaving my side this time.

"Do you have any idea at all what you've been doing to me?" I stated over my shoulder. The crisp air felt good in my lungs and only urged me to go faster.

"You're going to take off my arm jack ass!" She yelled beating her free hand against my hand that gripped her.

"Why do you always feel the need to hit me!" I yelled agitated. The built up pressure in my chest was just becoming too much for me to handle. I knew I held these strong feelings towards her for a long time, but before I couldn't act on them...not until I had restored Al's body. But hell, there were times I wanted to give into her. I mean, what the hell!? Tube tops?! When she broke into those I was a teenager. She acted like I didn't have a single hormone in my body! Don't get me wrong, I respect Winry more than anything, but she tested my limits for years. I sometimes draw the conclusion that being the reason I avoided coming home for maintenance so often.

"EDWARD! LET ME GO OR I WILL BASH YOU SO HARD!" She screamed. " _Ohhh this woman..."_

I drank the last bit of Whiskey in the bottle and tossed it aside. I felt it make my head whirl around so I grabbed the nearby tree. I started laughing at how angry Winry had become with me and turned around to lean my back against the tree. The alcohol finally taking over me and I finally felt myself feeling confident enough to just let things play out. Her brows furrowed with the promise to make my head bleed. I pulled her body to lean on mine and quickly latched my arms around her waist. She balled her hands into fists and pounded my chest, demanding for me to stop acting like a child and to release my grip on her. I stared at her, and I saw it again. There was something there in her body language expressing the complete opposite of her words.

"You acted ridiculous in there! Why do you have to be so stubborn?! You were rude to Eric for no reason!" She huffed. I watched her chest rise and fall as she fought for me to release her. But Winry was strong, if she wanted me to let her go she could've accomplished that easily.

"Hey Win, are you wearing a push up?" I smiled slyly while eyeing her chest, flicking my eyes back to hers. Her face twisted into a cute blushing expression. "What was that you said before about those? Girls that wear those are trying to get someone's attention?" I slurred my words a little but I didn't care. I grinned at her and felt her skin heat up despite the clothing that separated us.

"E-E-Edward?!" She gasped. She couldn't believe the way I was acting. Fuck, I couldn't believe the way I was acting either. But after all this time, I could only keep emotions and desires at bay for so long...

"You diddd. You said it before. You thinkkk I didn't noticeee from earlier?" I rolled my head back, my thoughts going back to Winry's chest, watching those drops of water slide between her beautiful beautiful beautiful-

"What makes you think I wore it for you!"

I snapped my head back and met her gaze and growled. "Don't do that Winry." I warned her.

"What? Are you afraid that maybe I wore it for Eric?" She retorted with a sly smile. Now she was just pissing me off, but I wasn't ready to give in.

"Winry..." I warned. With all of my determination, I kept my balance as I spun us around, pushing her body up against the tree. I placed a hand on her hip to keep her in place and to keep myself from falling over. She let out a small gasp.

"Do you still want to keep bringing that jack ass up?" I breathed heavily while placing my other hand on her shoulder. I ran my fingers up her neck and then back down to the straps that rested on her shoulder.

"He...He is more of a gentleman than you." She meekly said between shallow breaths, her eyes showing anticipation as she fluttered her gaze down to the straps. I paused my fingers from playing with the strap to her tank top and bra and looked her dead in the eye.

"I don't think...you want me to be a gentleman." As soon as the words left my mouth I pulled the straps on her right shoulder down and began kissing and nipping at her collarbone. I smirked while I continued to kiss up her neck harder and harder, listening to her soft little gasps and purrs.

"Stop Stop Stop." She whispered in protest. Had she wanted me to stop I would have immediately, but she grabbed onto me tighter, pushing our bodies closer together. I groaned huskily as I felt her hips press into my most sensitive area. Hearing Winry breathe my name and feeling the alcohol make my head feel lighter than air was sending me into a frenzy of uncontrollable desire. I took my hand that leaned against the tree and moved it to grab a fistful of her breast. She bit down on my shoulder from the dizzying passion we were engulfed in.

I let my hand slide from her chest until my fingers curled around the buttons that fastened her shorts.

"Wait." She breathed out a moan. But I had already undone the front and slowly danced my fingers closer and closer to exactly where her body was beckoning for me to touch. I slid my finger softly over her underwear, feeling that she wasn't mentally ready for me to go any further yet. I pressed my finger gently upwards and felt her wet panties against my fingertip. This tiny amount of pressure made her entire body shiver. I wanted to make her mine as soon as her body squirmed from that single touch.

Then it hit me. My stupid drunken ass hadn't even kissed her beautiful mouth. We hadn't had our first kiss yet...

"Ah, Edddd." She bit her lips in frustration and moaned my name again, noticing that I had stopped.

 _"What am I doing? She deserves better than me being intoxicated and feeling her up against a tree."_ I mentally face palmed and growled at my sexual frustration. Sensing that I had stopped, she grabbed my hand and put it back at the opening of her shorts, beckoning for me to continue where I left off. I won't lie. I could have ravaged her right there, but I was drunk and to make matters worse - I hadn't even kissed her yet. My head started to spin and I began to feel a whole new sensation that made me dizzy. And this time it wasn't due to my sexual needs.

"Edward?" She panted, bringing her hands to my now paled face.

"Winry! Are you guys out here still?"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I remarked pissed off. Winry quickly did up her shorts and stepped away from the tree. I watched her smooth out her hair and readjust her straps on her shoulders. She swore under her breath as she used her hair to cover the red marks I had left on her exposed neck, collarbone and neckline of her top. I leaned up against the tree, feeling nauseated. I snapped my head up to see Eric approaching us.

"I was on my way home and thought I heard someone in pain. I just wanted to check if you were okay." Eric stated concerned. He looked over Winry and began to inspect her for any sign of injury. "How are you Ed? Are you alright?"

"Oh Eric! You're so kind for checking up on us. No one is in pain. We...were having a heated discussion." Winry nervously waved it off as nothing to worry about.

"Actually it was the complete opposite of pain." I scoffed, sinking to the ground in order to keep the world from spinning. I heard a nervous noise come from Winry's mouth and smiled in satisfaction.

Eric paused at Winry's newly exposed neck. "Winry!? You need to get inside! I think you're having an allergic reaction from a mosquito bite! I can help Edward in but you go along ahead of us!"

I snorted and lazily looked up at his spinning body. "Maybe the mosquitosss are markk-ing her as belonging to theirr blood sucking army. Because she seemed like she enjoyed them." I was making our passionate moment into a complete disaster. Winry looked at my direction with hurt and disgust at my behavior. I couldn't blame her. I was making pig-like statements.

"I'm sorry Eric. He's drunk. You think you could help me get him back home?"

I could hear the strain in her voice. I really fucked up now, and I was about to make things worse. I stood up gripping the tree for support. I took a step forward towards them, "What youu heard wasss Winry purring forr me tooo be insidee herrrr. Not youu. Meee."

The last thing I saw was the horrified expression on Winry's face as I felt my body hit the ground overcome with nausea.

 _"Alphonse is going to kill me..."_

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I will give a heads up that I won't be rushing sex, but there will be plenty of high tension moments. ;) Thank you for reading! Please be kind as always. :)


	5. Workroom Fiasco

Greetings! Here's another update for my story! Please be kind if you decide to review.

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EDWARD'S POV

"Ughhh..." I groaned, squinting at the blinds that streamed in sunlight. My stomach felt uneasy and my head felt like Winry had been beating on it all night.

"Morning."

The blinds shot up and the sun took it's wrath out on my eyesight. I growled and turned away while grabbing at my head that pounded fiercely.

"What the hell?" I moaned. My eyes adjusted to the lighting of the room and I saw my brother standing at the foot of my bed.

"How are you feeling?" Al asked, looking rather displeased. I looked around the room and down at the sheets that were twisted around my legs. _"What the hell am I doing in Winry's bed?"_ My heart halted in my chest and I choked when my brain started making connections. I heard Alphonse clear his throat and I looked up at him with my eyes widened.

"No Ed, that's not it at all. You brought yourself in here. Do you not remember?" He stated matter of factly.

"I..." Scratching my head, trying to gather my thoughts from last night.

"I told them you didn't drink." Alphonse groaned and flopped himself to sit next to me.

"Stop making the room move!" I protested, grabbing the sides of my head. Despite the empty feeling in my gut I still wanted to throw up.

"Brother. WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?"

"What are you talking about Al? Just come out with it! Why are you acting so pissy with me?"

"Winry is super upset! Like HULK angry upset!"

"Why are you yelling at me about it when I've been in here! How could I have pissed her off!" I said agitated. Why couldn't I remember anything? We heard creaking outside the door. Footsteps. Someone was upstairs. When Winry was angry she made it known by stomping her feet so I made the assumption they belonged to the old hag.

"You really don't remember?"

I shook my head and felt my stomach churn in nausea. Alphonse leaned in closer to my ear and began whispering about the events that took place from the night before.

"Eric helped you walk through the door. You were so intoxicated that you could barely stand. Winry said you guys were close to the pond and she needed help getting you home. She kept apologizing to him for things that were said. I assumed it was from the way you acted at dinner...until you started pointing at Eric and said some ludicrous nonsense about territory." Alphonse whispered. He paused to see if anything was coming back to me - it wasn't. He rolled his eyes. "He offered to help you upstairs to get you to your room - andddd that's when you said the only way he was going to help you was by putting you on Winry's bed."

Alphonse began to pull at his sleeve, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Is that it?" I asked. Sure it was embarrassing and a bit crass but I still didn't see the big deal about it. My younger brother looked at me with disbelief.

"ED. Winry said you told that man you...ugh! That she wanted you to be inside her." Alphonse said. He ran his hands through his hair and grabbed the back of his neck, embarrassed for me.

I felt my jaw drop open and my eyes widen. I stared at him waiting for the hopeful joke to be revealed. But then events from the night came flooding back into my brain. Kissing Winry's neck, her clawing at my back, our breathy moans...my fingers playing with her panties. I looked down at my hand and felt my face grow red.

"You humiliated her brother!"

"What happened after we got home!?" I said, ignoring his statement. "How the hell did I end up in Winry's room after that?!"

"Well, Winry sent Eric home saying that we could get you up the steps. Once he left we stumbled up the stairs with you while you kept rambling something about mosquito bites. When we tried to get you past Winry's room you grabbed onto her doorway and stumbled over to her bed. Once you dropped onto her bed you passed out." Alphonse finished.

"Did...Winry sleep here too?" I asked. Alphonse scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you kidding? She wants to kill you. So you better not get in her way today. I don't know what else you did when you went walking with her but whatever it was she is extremely upset." He paused. I could see that he was having an inner debate about something. "What else happened anyways...when you guys were out?"

I made a nervous noise and stared at him. Granted, Alphonse was an adult, but I still saw him as my kid brother and I wasn't so sure how open I wanted to be about my relations with Winry.

"I can't remember." I lied. He stared at me - he didn't buy it.

"Okay. Well I'm going to go downstairs. Just a heads up Eric is coming today. Try not to do anything stupid"

I watched him round the corner and let out a breath I had been holding in, only to feel my heart stop when he popped his head back in the doorway.

"By the way! I did the dishes that YOU were supposed to do! So you better fix things with Winry today or I'll tell Auntie!"

And with that last statement, I heard his shoes clunk down the wooden steps. I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. How was I suppose to fix the mess I made of myself last night? Then it hit me. It wasn't my fault! IT WAS ERICS! I shook my head in agreement with myself. Had he never been there, dinner would have gone the way it usually does! Winry and I would have stayed home and never gone towards the pond and...I groaned again thinking about what my stupid drunk ass had done. I decided to face the music for my actions, kind of, it was more due to my stomach rumbling for food.

I didn't bother slipping clothes on since Winry still needed to work on my leg, so I bounded down the steps in my black boxers. If that guy was going to have his shirt off in front of her so she could work on his arm, then I'd just walk around wearing whatever the hell I pleased! I walked down the hall and passed Alphonse who gave me an incredulous look for my choice of wardrobe. I decided to pull off a confident stature and strode off on my way to the workroom. That confidence came to a halt when I rounded the corner to enter the room to see Winry bent over, angrily looking for tools. But it wasn't her irritable attitude that caught my attention. My eyes had a mind of their own as they scanned up her body. Out of all the times she wore pants, today she thought it best to wear those stupid daisy whatever you call them shorts along with a tube top. Now I normally wouldn't have thought much of this, but she hadn't worn a tube top since we were teenagers and I never remembered her wearing shorts that were smaller than her skirts. I immediately regretted my decision of only wearing my briefs and turned to go put something on when I heard my stomach growl in protest. Before I could dodge out of the way, Winry's wrench went flying my direction and collided with the side of my head. I went flying onto the cold floorboards.

"WINRY?!" I hissed through my teeth, holding my pulsing head and glared her direction. Her cheeks were stained pink as she glared down at me. Without a word she pointed at the chair in the workroom, silently instructing me to go sit in it. I contemplated on whether or not I should make a run for it, but she read my mind and gave me a look, daring me to try.

"Let's just get this over with so I don't have to be in the same room with you any longer." She stated, placing a hand on her hip impatiently. I thought about making some smart comment but decided against it as I had already caused enough damage. I really did want to apologize for the way I acted from last night, but how the hell do you apologize for something like that? I walked over to her work area and sat down, focusing my eyes anywhere in the room but on her.

There was an awkward silence between us as she began to tinker at my leg, muttering about my inability to take care of her work. After a few minutes, I decided to make a brave decision by stealing a glance down at her. Her brows were furrowed in a desperate attempt at concentration, but the deepening blush across her cheeks was proof that her thoughts were also lost in the night's events. I felt my own face get hot and gripped at the arm of the chair. _"Think about something else! Think about something else!"_

By the grace of whatever forces were out there, we heard Pinako yell from the kitchen about breakfast.

"Good I'm starving." I stated flatly and tried to stand, only to be elbowed in the gut by Winry. I grunted as I lost my ability to breathe and my back thunked against the chair.

"I am working on you right now!" Winry growled, pointing her wrench up at me.

"But, I barely ate last night!" I answered in disbelief.

"That's your own fault!"

"Well maybe if you just kept your hands to yourself I could have finished my dinner!"

Now, I know I'm pretty intelligent. You could quiz me on the science of alchemy and mathematical equations and I can give you the answers within seconds. But with Winry? My mind always drew a blank, and I had a temper when I didn't understand things. Alphonse has always said I was clueless moron when it came to her. I was proving his point every time I opened my mouth lately.

"You have a lot of nerve to be complaining after what you did."

This is it. She is finally going to beat me to death and it's all my fault. And I didn't even get to die on a full stomach. I closed my eyes waiting to hear her grab her trusty wrench so she could bust my head open like a piñata, but nothing came. I opened my eyes in time to see her removing my automail from the port.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You want breakfast? Go get it on one leg! And you know what! Go without your automail for the rest of the day - NO! Actually! Whenever I decide to give it back to you!"

Winry tossed my leg over her shoulder and began to walk out.

"WINRY! COME ON! LOOK I'M SORRY!"

She paused in the doorway and looked over at me, waiting for me to finish my apology.

"About?" She pried, clearly curious since my pride rarely had me apologizing for anything.

"That...YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" I stuck my nose in the air, proud of my come back. No one was going to keep me from my breakfast and get away with it!

I looked over to see her stomping over towards me with such a tremendous amount of rage in her eyes. I prepared myself in time for the impact as she raised her arm above her head to swing at me with that stupid wrench of hers. I caught her by the wrist before it could collide with my skull, causing Winry to scream obscenities as she attempted to pull her arm free. With her pulling and my grip not budging (for the sake of my life that was at risk) I was able to stand from the chair. My balance was lost without my automail and we went crashing to the ground. Despite her clawing at me with her free hand, I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against me in order to keep her body from having the painful impact of the floor.

"LET ME GO! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO STUPID!" She said yanking her arm.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO FUCKING VIOLENT! I'LL BE DEAD IF THIS IS HOW MY VISITS KEEP GOING!"

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO VISIT! YOU'RE HURTING MY WRIST!"

"DROP YOUR WRENCH THEN!" I growled. Winry reached for the base of my ponytail and began to yank at my hair, throwing my head back. She continued to scream about her wrench. Her legs fell in between my hips and I could feel her kicking at the floorboards in frustration.

"GOD DAMN IT EDWARD WILL YOU FUCKING LET GO!" She yelled. "YOU ARE ACTING LIKE A CHILD!"

"ME?! YOU'RE THE ONE PULLING ON MY HAIR!" I retorted, wincing at the pain.

We continued this charade on the floor until we were panting from the exhaustion. I felt her body relax on top of me and heard the clank of her wrench hitting the floor. She loosened her grip from my hair and let her head fall to rest above my shoulder, her out of breath pants tickling at my ear. I felt her skin against my arm and began to take in the situation...the very physical situation that had our bodies grinding together with little clothes separating us. Winry turned her face into my neck.

"You're a stubborn jack ass." She breathed, her lips brushing against my skin.

I rolled my eyes. Was she serious?! Could she not sense the sexual tension that clearly was building between us? Maybe she could. Maybe she was doing it on purpose. As soon as the thought entered my mind, I felt her body shift as she slid in an upwards motion, reaching for her wrench with her free hand - her breasts centimeters from my face. _"She's doing this on fucking purpose..."_

"If you hit me with that stupid thing..." I muttered.

"Relax." She sighed, lifting herself up from the entangled mess we had been in. She stretched her arms above her head. "I've had enough of your crap and would rather go do something that doesn't cause my blood to boil."

And with that statement, Winry walked out of the room. I continued to lay there, staring up at the ceiling. My blood was boiling too, but not because I was angry. I could still feel her skin against mine and already missed the sensation of her body. I balled my hands into fists and hit the floor in frustration.

"I need to fix this before we end up killing each other."

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Thank you for reading Chapter 5! I try to update as fast as possible and make sure their aren't errors in my writing. (I'm not perfect though so I'm sure there are a few!) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	6. The AXident (Accident)

WINRY'S POV

A couple hours had passed and Edward and I were still not speaking to one another since breakfast. I had shoveled my eggs into my mouth as fast as possible, knowing Granny would get tired of hearing Ed's obscenities from the workroom and connect his automail for him. Before I could make a fast break back to the work room, she came walking in with a furious golden-eyed demon behind her. I did the best I could to be mature - I DID NOT hit him...but I did stick my tongue out to antagonize him. It had worked, and once again he went on parading around the kitchen with loud insults. Granny seemed to be at her end with us and sent us both out of the house to do chores - or really anything to regain peace and quiet inside the home.

So this is how we ended up outside in the blazing heat of the sun, only a few feet away from the other. Was it a good idea to be close? Probably not. Den came running around from the back of the house, beaming with pride at his new found discovery - mud. I sighed at the blissfully happy dog and walked over to the hose that was connected to the front of the house.

"Den, you stay right there! You can't go inside until you're all clean or Granny will make sure none of us come in!" I said, pointing my finger as a warning. Den was on and off about baths, he either found them refreshing or he guaranteed you a work out chasing him around. Today seemed like he was going to behave...thank god.

I unraveled the hose and started walking back to where he was sitting, his attention now on Edward. I did everything possible not to become curious, but my eyes wandered over to the grunting blonde-haired man anyways. He had removed his shirt and tossed it aside. I bit my lip as I watched his toned arms swing towards the wood to split it in two. I was so lost in my own anger from earlier that I hadn't noticed the enormous pile of logs growing in the yard, but now it was all I could focus on. I felt completely mesmerized by the way his muscles tightened with every swing and found myself staring for much longer than I had realized. The hose spewing water all over the yard and began to flood towards Edward. He stopped swinging the ax and looked in my direction.

"What are you staring at you gear freak!" He yelled at me annoyed.

"You chose to work right there when I was already here! You could've cut wood in the back of the house!" I growled.

"STOP GAWKING AT ME THEN MAYBE YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR OWN TASK!"

"I WAS LOOKING OVER YOUR HEAD AT SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO SEE OVER YOU!"

Edward's golden eyes grew wild with anger and he stared at me. I had called him short, despite that he had grown past my own height.

"YOU KNOW I'M NOT SHORT WINRY! DON'T TRY TO FUCKING PISS ME OFF!" He screamed. He then turned his back to me and swung the ax into the tree stump. I glared at his back as he walked over to the pile of wood and started to carry it to place at the side of the house. Why did it feel like the tables had turned?! We were in this whole awkward situation because of HIS actions! And he had the audacity to be upset with ME? I turned my focus back to Den who was now rolling around in the grass, biting at his tail.

"Den! Stop that!" I yelled. Den rolled back over and barked at me.

"Hey no talking back. You're the one who decided to take a trip to Mudville you goof." I chuckled at the cute pout that formed on his furry face.

I began to hose off his fur, making sure to scrub my hands thoroughly to ensure the crusty mud was being washed away. He started to whine in detest and I hushed him. Stealing one last glance towards Edward's direction, I noticed that a lot of water had made it's way through the grass by the pile of wood. Rolling my eyes at his continued ranting and raving, I inspected his fur and sighed at the sight of his muddy front paws. But before I could reach for the impatient pup's leg, he made a quick break towards the pile of wood.

"DEN!" I screamed and dropped the hose, taking after him. The wet grass stuck to the bottom of my feet with every step I took towards the now obnoxious barking animal.

I was approaching the tree stump where the ax was still in place and caught sight of Den running towards the visitor. Eric waved at me from afar and looked prepared for the wet mutt that was getting ready to pounce him for a greeting. I shouted for the dog's name one last time and saw Edward running towards me with his hand reaching out. Distracted with the look of fear that his face held, the wet grass caused my balance to fail and my feet slipped. I was ready for the impact of the cold drenched ground, but felt a burning sting rip across my side before my back came in contact with the earthly floor. I gasped with shock as I came into contact with the over watered grass.

"WINRY!" Edward yelled for me.

I attempted to sit up and felt a sticky hot sensation on my side and gripped at the area. Still a bit dazed, I brought my hand to my face and saw it covered in my own blood. My entire body froze up and tears formed in my eyes as my brain started to signal just how painful the cut felt. My head started to gather the situation as I looked up at the ax that had caught my side in the fall.

Edward dropped down beside me and looked at my side. He quickly grabbed his discarded shirt and held it against my bleeding cut and I winced from the pain.

"Eric!" He yelled, clearly putting aside his ego towards the other male. I heard Eric's footsteps quicken from the distressed call. Once standing above us he immediately began to instruct Edward to pick me up to carry me inside the house.

"Fuck!" I swore at Edward and grabbed at his shoulder. "Go slower you're fucking hurting me!"

"I'd make a comment towards that statement but I'm more concerned about getting you inside." Ed stated. Even with my side bleeding, I could have sworn it had stopped due to all my blood rushing to my face as I felt it grow hot.

"Edward!" I started hitting him in anyway I could.

"Winry stop! You're making yourself bleed more!"

As soon as the words left his mouth I winced and swore once more at the burning pain. I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut trying to focus on anything else. Eric opened the door for us and quickly walked in after.

"Take her to the work room and place her on the table. I'll be right there. I'm going to go make Pinako aware so she can give me bandage wrap and antiseptic." Eric instructed, quickly walking to find granny.

Edward kicked open the work room door and gently lay me down on the table. He removed his shirt from my wound and examined it carefully. We both looked to the door as we heard numerous footsteps hastily coming.

"Winry! Are you okay?!" Alphonse asked worried. Granny followed with a large frown on her lips. I smiled sheepishly and shrugged slightly. The only response I got from her was a sigh and her head shaking at my own stupidity. Eric carried over the medical supplies and dropped them onto the table. Quickly moving out of the way, Edward watched intently as Eric took his place at examining my cut.

"Hmmm..." Eric murmured, placing his hands on my waist. I blushed in embarrassment, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I noticed Edward appeared just as uncomfortable about his hands being on my bare skin, but he swallowed his pride for my physical health.

"I'll need to clean the area thoroughly before making a decision on whether or not you will need stitches, but I'd say it's a 60% possibility." Eric stated. He reached for the antiseptic and wet cloths and softly began cleaning away the blood to see the cut more clearly. I hissed every time he touched the area and thought about swatting his hands away. Edward made a noise in response to my discomfort, causing Eric to look up from my side.

"Don't worry Ed, I'll be as gentle as possible."

Now...I don't want to make it seem like Edward and I had our heads in the gutter, but we had both taken the extremely innocent remark in the same way. I choked on my spit and began coughing abruptly while Edward made incoherent noises and glared at the fellow blonde man. Alphonse threw him a disapproving glare, warning his brother to calm down and to let Eric focus.

"Well, luck must be on your side! Your wound is pretty nasty but you won't need stitches."

"She slipped and cut her side on a fucking ax, I'd say luck is far from being on Team Winry." Edward scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Brother! Watch your mouth!" Alphonse scolded, to which Edward muttered even more obscenities.

"I'll just put some antiseptic and wrap these bandages around your waist. You should probably stay in bed for today to let your body rest and do it's job in healing." Eric said matter of factly. I nodded my head in reply and braced myself for the stinging sensation to return from him applying the antiseptic.

"Don't worry Winry. You have nothing to worry about, okay? I'm pretty good with my fingers." Eric said smiling sweetly in response to my discomfort.

"OKAY NOW HE IS SAYING SHIT LIKE THAT ON PURPOSE!" Edward yelled.

"BROTHER!"

"Edward. Go get pillows from the closet and prop them up on Winry's bed so it's ready for her." Granny cut in, clearly tired of his bantering. Edward growled and stomped his way out of the room. With the way his attitude was, I imagined my room would have feathers floating around from him beating said pillows to death.

Eric quickly applied the antiseptic and carefully wrapped the white bandages around my waist, and just like he stated, he was good with his fingers...as in it didn't feel as painful as I feared it would. I knew his words had been innocent, but with Edward's growing jealousy and my hormones towards the angry blonde as of lately, anything set off a blush to creep on our faces.

"Don't worry about my automail, if it's alright I'd like to check on you tomorrow to see how your wound is. Later on tonight your bandages will need replaced so make sure Edward helps you with that, alright Winry?" He smiled in my direction.

"Yes of course. Thank you so much Eric, and sorry that I was unable to work on your automail." I replied. He waved his hands in response.

"No no no don't worry about it! You just make sure you get better!"

"If you'd like Eric, I can work on your automail for you tomorrow after you're done checking on her. Free of charge. Consider it my thank you for taking care of my granddaughter." Granny said.

"That works for me! Thank you so much Pinako!"

"That settles it then, we will see you tomorrow." Granny warmly smiled at the good-hearted man. I watched her follow Eric out of the room to see him off. Alphonse looked over to me and pat my head.

"I'm glad you're okay Winry. Let's get you to bed so you can relax." Alphonse said. I nodded and smiled at the kind man. Despite only being a year younger than me, he still held the same good-hearted innocence as the little boy I grew up with. Alphonse was much more careful in carrying me to my room, unlike his stupid older brother.

"You're going to make a lucky woman very happy someday Al." I said, pinching his cheek.

"I hope so!" He laughed. I knew without a doubt that he had already had his eyes on a certain princess, but I decided not to embarrass him with the topic. Alphonse was a gentleman about those sort of things, another thing Edward was also without, and yet I loved that man. Alphonse softly pushed the door with his foot and our eyes found Edward sitting on my bed waiting for us.

"Don't forget you'll need to help her change her bandages, and Eric said to make sure she doesn't do anything strenuous, so she will probably need help changing." Alphonse stated without really thinking what he said. Edward and I darted our eyes from coming into contact, causing Alphonse to roll his eyes at both of us while placing me down on the bed gently.

"Can you two stop it? It's important to ensure Winry doesn't get an infection! Grow up brother and help Winry!" Alphonse stated flatly, his eyebrows scrunched with irritation. "You guys already spoke about your relationship at the train station and you're acting like teenagers! Everyone else has been aware of you two for a while now, so stop making the house into a battlezone of awkward tension!"

And with that Alphonse humphed his way out of my room. Both of us stared wide-eyed where Al had been. Silence fell between us for a few minutes, until I heard Edward stand from my bed and walk over to the door, closing it.

"Good job, you pissed off the nicest person on the planet." Edward said.

"Me?! He was clearly speaking to you! Jack ass!"

"Why do you always have to go calling me names?!"

"Why are you always fighting with me!" I groaned, kicking my feet up onto the bed. I looked out my window and noticed the sunlight was already fading away. So much for a productive day. I looked down at my jean shorts and realized that putting and taking off clothes would be a challenge for a few days. "Hey Ed...can you get me a T-shirt from my dresser? I want to change into something more comfortable for bed. Surprisingly he didn't continue to fight with me and obliged without a single insult. I watched as he rummaged through the bigger drawers, knowing all too well that the smaller ones meant...well, smaller articles of clothing.

"Hey...isn't this my shirt?" He asked, turning around to face me as he held a black shirt in the air. I blushed and he raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah...you left it here so I use it as a night shirt a lot. You can have it back if you want." I said softly while biting my lip.

"No you can keep it. I have quite a few anyways. Is this all you need? Don't you wear some sort of bottoms to bed?" He asked and diverted his eyes to the ceiling.

We really weren't ever going to get anywhere with our relationship if we continued to be like this towards one another.

"You walk around all the time in your boxers. Whats the difference in you seeing me without pants on?" I sneered. I did my best to come off like I didn't care, but the truth was that I was just as embarrassed as he seemed to be. He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously.

"I guess you're right."

I stared at him in disbelief as he continued to stand in the same spot, holding onto the shirt for dear life. Drunk Edward was so much more rambunctious and daring than Sober Edward.

"Oh forget it just toss the shirt over here and turn around so I can undress myself before you have heart failure in my room." I growled with annoyance.

"No! No...I'll help you." He replied walking over and sitting down at the edge of my bed.

"This isn't exactly the most ideal situation for me either you know." I squeaked at the growing discomfort. Our faces could have been mistaken for cherries from the inability to stop blushing. I sat up slightly against the pillows and attempted to pull off the jean shorts myself, but my injured side refused to permit this action without consequences. I winced at the pain and attempted again, only to have Edward's hands wrap around my wrists.

"Stop it before you make yourself bleed out. Last thing I need is for Al to come up here and scold me because you're dead on the floor from trying to undress."

He leaned in closer to me and reached for the pillows, pushing them back further and scooted me back gently. The sudden closeness of our bodies made my skin tingle and my head fog up. I felt the same urges returning to me from the other night and held my breath. I bit back a gasp and felt the muscles in my stomach tighten as I felt Edward's fingers carefully undoing the front of my shorts. Something in the atmosphere changed for both of us and the feelings of embarrassment faded away instantly. I could tell he was still avoiding eye contact with me, but I wanted him to look at me now. I felt myself forgetting about my injury and an invisible magnetic force caused me to lean in closer towards his face that was still focused on carefully removing my shorts for me. I felt them slide down my legs and felt a sense of growing confidence, kicking them off all the way with my feet. I saw that Edward was starting to take in the situation as I lay on my bed in only a tube top and panties. After what felt like forever Edward's golden eyes locked with mine and he saw exactly what was on my mind.

"Winry..."He said in a warning tone. "You have to be careful with your side."

I got the feeling he was going to attempt at retreating. Just like him...to think that it was in my best health and blah blah blah. I quickly slid one of my legs over his lap and carefully scooted myself closer to him. I smiled inwardly when I felt his body tense into a frozen state. Despite his legs still hanging over my bed, I had trapped him between my legs from the side.

"If you get up you'll just end up hurting my side."

"You don't seem very concerned about your side." He snapped.

Oh yes, another thing Edward seemed to be wonderful at was ruining a moment. I grabbed at his ponytail and yanked at it annoyed. He whipped his face in my direction with a scowl, clearly getting ready for round two of insulting me.

"Winry what the he-"

And just like that our almost passionate moment ceased to exist as the door flew open. Edward made a rather unmanly squeak when our eyes came into contact with my tiny grandmother. Her glasses gleamed and rested on her crows feet as she took a puff from her pipe.

"Edward." Pinako stated flatly. "How about you go help Alphonse bring Den inside. It looks like he's having a bit of trouble getting him to stop running around the back yard."

With surprising yet careful speed, I watched him scoot from my side and be out the door in seconds. I glared at the warm spot where Edward had just been in disbelief. The man who had been faced with death since he was a child and been through enough trauma to land anyone in an asylum...had fear placed in him by my small framed granny. I heard the door close and listened to the soft creaking footsteps approach my bedside. I looked to my grandmother and my face twisted in confusion at the serious tension that continued to build on her face. She took another puff from her pipe and breathed out slowly.

"Granny?" I placed my hand on top of hers as my throat tightened with worry.

"Winry, we need to talk."

* * *

Sorry for the extremely late update. I have a few personal things going on and it has made it hard to find time to write. I thought I'd be slightly cruel with a cliffhanger! AH! I'm sorry! Please review without flames and thank you to everyone who has liked this story and reviewed! It is extremely appreciated! :)


	7. First Kiss

WINRY'S POV

I opened my eyes slowly to the sun streaming through the blinds. Reaching above my head, I attempted to stretch my arms and was repaid with a obscene-worthy pain rip through my side.

"Shit...that's right."

I lifted the baggy black shirt slightly that revealed my hapless once white bandages that now were dabbled with red dots from straining. I groaned at the pain and gently spread the shirt back over my stomach and frowned as I thought back to last night. The soaring build up of sexual tension with Edward almost felt surreal...but that was all disrupted when the night ended with my grandmother making him leave the room. Granny...

* * *

 _"Winry, we need to talk...an old friend of mine has become ill and I'll need to go visit them for only a few days. I hate to leave you like this but I can trust that Edward and Alphonse can take care of you. I also trust that Al will be the mature one out of the three of you - so I know the chores will be accomplished before I get back...and that other things will remain in order." Granny stated. I squinted my face in confusion at that last part but decided to brush it off._

 _"Will your friend be okay?"_

 _"Yes, I believe so. But I'd like to go help watch his two daughters for him. They're young and unable to care for themselves and their mother hasn't been in the picture since they were toddlers. I shouldn't be gone long, depending on his condition."_

 _I watched her take another dose of her pipe and sigh deeply. She picked up Edward's black shirt and delicately slid the shirt over me. My side shot me a warning of pain and I quickly lay my arms back down. Granny had centered her frown at me and I responded with a questioning glance._

 _"Granny?"_

 _She quickly patted my leg in reassurance and smirked._

 _"Your father didn't have a stubborn bone in his body. Not a single one. It runs more heavily through the women in our family. You definitely get your spitfire from me, as I did from my own mother - your great grandmother. But the difference for you is that you've met your match with Edward."_

 _"He's a jack ass.." I muttered, causing my tiny framed granny to laugh._

 _"You really have to wonder how your kids will be like."_

 _"GRANNY?!"_

 _"Oh Winry stop that. It's no secret to anyone the way you two feel about each other. I've known since you were young that Ed liked you. Your mother and Trisha used to poke fun at you two growing up and getting married one day..."_

 _We both sat quietly in sadness, pondering the memories of our lost loved ones. I had wished so much that my parents could have seen me get married...the same with Edward's. I felt my eyes water up at the thought of my father walking me down the aisle and shook my head profusely._

 _"Aghhh! At least they don't have to see Edward scowling because he thinks weddings are stupid and a waste of money. He's such a jerk that he'd probably have us skip our vows so he could go eat!"_

 _I stuck my nose in the air dramatically. It may have seemed like I was actually worried about this happening, but I really just wanted to lighten the mood for the both of us...even though I wouldn't put it past me for Ed to do something like that either. Granny sighed deeply and shook her head._

 _"You two are going to put poor Alphonse and I in our graves with the stress you cause." She said, standing up from the bed. I watched as she stretched her arms above her head and heard a sickening crack of her back. "Give Edward a chance. That poor man has been trying to talk to you since he got here and all you've done is avoided it. He's accomplished what he needed to do and he's home now. Now both of you, stop being idiotic and grow up!"_

* * *

And with that last statement, the door slammed shut and I had stared dumbfounded. She might be a small woman, but her anger created a force so powerful it frightened a large burly man like Mr. Armstrong.

I swung my feet over my bed and attempted to stand, but all it resulted in was my ass hitting the floorboards faster than the speed of light. I screamed and clenched my side.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Leave it to me to do the Edward thing - NOT FOLLOW MEDICAL INSTRUCTIONS. I would surely need my bandages changed now. I immediately heard feet pounding against the floor and in rushed Edward. His hair was disheveled and dripping as he stood before me only clothed in a towel that was wrapped around his waist loosely.

"What the hell are you doing Winry?!" He asked me incredulously. "Are you trying to rip yourself in two?!"

Within seconds he had picked up my sprawled body and carefully stood me upright while continuing to hold onto my arms. Without a second thought, he immediately lifted my shirt to examine my bloody bandages. I squeaked at his bold action and slapped his hand away.

"EDWARD!"

"What?! You act like I haven't seen you without pants on! Since the freaking day I got here you've been parading around in practically nothing!"

I felt my face flush at this statement. True...several occasions had occurred now where he had seen me like this...well I actually had a shirt on this time so I guess that was more than usual.

"STILL!"

"STILL WHAT? LAST NIGHT YOU WERE ALL READY FOR ME TO STAY IN HERE!" He snapped.

I opened my mouth but found no words leaving my lips. I had become so angry that words couldn't do me justice. I darted my eyes and saw my precious wrench laying on top of the dresser. Had granny seen that I had my tools on top of furniture she would have skinned me a new one. The pair of golden eyes seemed to figure out my thoughts as he eyed the wrench and scoffed.

"You reach for that and I leave you tied down for the rest of the day. At least I won't have to worry about you bleeding out."

I narrowed my eyes at his threat. Did he honestly think he could get the better of me? I softened my gaze and sighed inwardly. I decided to go for a more tricky approach with him, since he was at his most distracted point when in an embarrassed state.

"Didn't...you _want_ to stay in here last night?"

His eyes grew wide and a blush spread across his cheeks.

"That...that's besides the point Winry!" He said, turning his head to avert his gaze elsewhere.

I smiled and leaned my face towards his. Now...normally I wouldn't have this much confidence to be so daring. Of course I had been dreaming of the day for Edward to finally return home to me, but in the case of my anger - I'd use anything to get a hold of my wrench and bash his skull in at the moment. I felt my heart racing despite my main ambition of tricking him. All of our irrational lash outs at each other had to be due to a more...deeper personal issue - if you get my drift. I raised my left hand to the side of his face and rather roughly turned his head to face me. I felt his grip on my arms loosen as he started to get caught up in the moment. I let my hand drop down to his chest and felt myself become lightheaded. I noticed that I wasn't close enough to reach for the wrench and decided I would need to be a little more daring.

"I wanted you to stay..." I said with shallow breaths. I buried my face in his neck and felt his entire body tense up. "I've thought about you, you know. When you were gone all these years. I've...thought about you a lot." I smiled and brushed my lips against his skin. This may have been all in cause for the retrieval of my wrench...but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. "Did you think about me too?"

I heard him gulp as I continued brushing my lips up and down his neck. I couldn't resist the heating passion myself, and before it registered with me I had started trailing kisses near his sharp jawline.

"Winry..." Edward stifled a moan from passing through his lips, but I knew better. I stopped and smiled up at him.

"Did you?"

"Of co-course we thought about you! We missed you and the old hag!"

Just like him to ruin the moment...I rolled my eyes and glared at him, now finding myself forgetting the wrench completely and contemplating punching him square in the mouth.

"You know what I mean!" I snapped.

"How the hell should I know what you mean you crazy woman!" He growled in response. Our moment of passion...once again...being shot right in the face.

"DID. YOU. THINK. ABOUT. ME."

"I. ALREADY. ANSWERED."

"EDWARD! NOT LIKE THAT! IN ANOTHER WAY!"

"WHAT OTHER WAY IS THERE TO THINK!"

"SEXUALLY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I felt the creeping sensation of awkward tension fill the room as fast as my heart stopped beating. I backed away and put my hands over my mouth, my eyes felt like they could pop out of my head. Edward was leaning against the dresser, looking at me with the same big-eyed look of shock. I hadn't even noticed that I had come close enough to grabbing my darling tool due to the banter. Oh had I wished I had it in my hand now. Neither one of us dared to move. I had completely forgotten about my bandaged side and felt that my eyes were stuck on his golden ones. The only noise to be heard were our deep breaths - you would have thought we had ran a marathon by the way our chests were rising and falling. It felt like forever by the time I heard Edward clear his throat.

"I'll be right back, just wait right there."

I watched as he quickly walked out of my room. What?! After all that and he just walks out?! I promised myself that I would kill him if he decided to walk back in. After a minute or two Edward came back into my room with his hair tied back into his usual ponytail while sporting a pair of black pants. Apparently putting on a top was too much of an effort. He set down the medical supplies onto the dresser and turned around to face me, his face still blushing. After a few seconds, Edward quickly moved towards me and swiftly picked me up.

"Edward?!"

"Your bandages need changed." He stated matter of factly as he sat me down on top of my dresser. I watched him reach into his back pocket and pull out a small pocket knife. I jumped at the noise of it flicking open.

"What are you doing?"

"Cutting the shirt off."

"What?! Why?!" I exclaimed, grabbing at his wrist.

"Win...I'll give you another shirt okay? But your side is never going to heal if you keep ripping it open like you've been doing. This is the easiest way. Um...you still have your tube top on from yesterday right?"

I nodded in response. I felt so confused...how did we go from talking about thinking of the other sexually to him being so persistent on making sure my wound healed? Well...I guess it made sense since Edward probably saw it as an escape route, but does that mean he didn't think about me that way?! My thoughts were interrupted at the sound of fabric ripping. I gasped and felt my heart stop. If he didn't classify this as sexual tension then he truly was dense...

I felt his hands rest on my waist as he lowered his head to inspect my wound. I winced as he began to clean it and felt his grip firm to keep me from moving. My body was so confused by the sense of pain and passion at once that I didn't know what to do at that moment. How could he be so dense about sexual attraction!? Or maybe...he wasn't at all. I was so lost in my head that I barely noticed he was almost finished wrapping the white wraps around my waist. He set down the bandages and put his hands on either side of me on the dresser. It was my time to gulp as he stared at me so intensely that I found myself unable to break away from his gaze.

"I did." Edward stated confidently. I could see in his eyes the same desires that were whirling around inside me. I felt my body become hot as I felt his so close to mine. I knew exactly what he meant, but I wanted to hear him say it anyways.

"You did what..." I breathed out. I watched as his eyes dropped down to take in my attire of...well practically nothing, and his eyes snapped back up to mine.

"I...thought about you. Winry, I've wanted to make love to y-"

As soon as he said 'make love' I completely gave into the passion I had been fighting since he had come home. He didn't have a chance to finish before I had captured his lips in a deep frenzy of built up desire. He made a surprised noise as I took out his pony tail and entangled my fingers into his hair. Our lips felt like magnets and I couldn't get enough of kissing him. I had been waiting so long for this moment, so long to kiss him, so long to pour out my feelings that I just couldn't keep to myself anymore. I scooted myself closer to press my need for him into his sensitive area. This created a deep moan to leave Edward's lips. We broke away for air, panting, completely out of breath from the kiss. I reached my hands hastily to undo his pants, but was greeted with the awful surprise of Edward taking hold of my hands to cease the action.

"Whoa whoa wait Winry." He panted. "Just slow down for a sec."

"Why? Edward...I've been waiting for this for so long. I want you to make love to me." I replied. I reached once more to undo his pants to continue our passion, but he backed away.

"Win..your grandmother would kill me."

"She doesn't have to know."

"Oh she would know..." Edward stated flatly.

I rolled my eyes in anger and pulled him into another deep kiss, this time making sure to wrap my legs around his waist to keep him from backing away.

"I want you Edward Elric." I breathed into his ear.

"Winry I promised the old hag I wouldn't do this until I married you!" Edward groaned. "She even said it right in front of Alphonse! If I'm not down those stairs soon he is bound to come up and check on us! And Al already said he would back up Pinako!"

"But..." I said frustrated. We were already at a point where it would be painful to stop...

"You act like I don't want to. Ever since I got here...the things you've been putting me through." He groaned again. "But I want to do this right. You mean so much to me...Winry I lo-"

"EDWARD!"

We both snapped our heads to the door to see a displeased Alphonse who was now shielding his eyes from the scene.

"BROTHER YOU PROMISED AUNTIE! SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOU WHEN SHE GETS BACK!"

"What? No...WAIT AL IT ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Edward yelled while backing away from me.

"She's going to be awfully upset with you when I tell her what happened." Alphonse stated matter of factly, shaking his head. "To think she was talking so fondly of you to Eric earlier today while she worked on his automail..."

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT! IF YOU ARE GOING TO YELL AT ANYONE, YELL AT THIS SHE-DEMON SITTING HERE! SHE TRIED TO SEDUCE ME INTO BED WITH HER!"

Any of the desire I felt for the golden-eyed man had vanished within a split second and I growled at him. With everything inside me, I picked up my wrench and hurled it towards his head. Alphonse squeaked at the sickening crack when it collided with his brother's skull as he watched Ed thud to the ground.

"SHE-DEMON MY ASS YOU BASTARD!"

And to think...I truly thought that this was finally going to be the moment where the awkward tension ceased between us.

* * *

How was it?! I loved writing this chapter. I'm sorry my updates have gotten slow but I haven't given up on this story! Is anyone else pumped for the live action film? Let me know what you thought in the reviews! Thanks!


	8. Awkward Circumstances

**Chapter 8 has been revised! Enjoy!**

* * *

EDWARD'S POV

I groaned at the cold wet sensation that was placed on my head by my younger brother. Sprawled out on the couch in the living room, I tried to tune out Alphonse who continued his charade of disappointment in me.

"Seriously brother! You know better! Auntie was very firm in you two waiting until you were married! And now you've placed me in an awkward position!" Alphonse said, pacing back and forth.

"Quit freaking out Al, I didn't even do anything. You're making my head throb."

Alphonse came to a complete halt and looked at me with disbelief.

"Are you crazy?! What did I just see up there then?!"

"AL I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! SHE'S A FREAKING SEDUCTRESS!"

"Don't talk about Winry like that brother!"

"WELL STOP YELLING AT ME!"

I thanked all the great forces out there for the immediate silence and let myself sink deeper into the couch. I felt like a teenager caught in the act who was getting reprimanded for my indecency...however Winry and I were in fact adults and were keeping to ourselves in her room - so what the hell was the harm? This was purely all her fault and I was the one getting screamed at by my YOUNGER sibling. YOUNGER! I was the older one! Didn't that come with any respect?!

"Ed...she's...she's not pregnant is she?" Alphonse glanced at me timidly with wide puppy-like eyes.

"ALPHONSE! WE WEREN'T EVEN NAKED!"

"WELL I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU EXPECT ME TO DO! I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP YOU ALIVE!"

"Look, I promised the old lady I wouldn't...do...well, do..-"

"Have intercourse?"

"YES AL! I PROMISED I WOULDN'T HAVE INTERCOURSE WITH WINRY! HOLY FUCK!" I yelled, throwing my hands in the air. The cloth full of ice chips spilled open and toppled down the front of me and I heard a muffled laugh come from Alphonse.

"Why not just marry her sooner?" He asked me.

"She hasn't exactly made the whole process easy ya know...besides...I plan on it after...it's finished. I can start working on the house when Pinako gets back." I stated matter of factly. Alphonse smiled at me and I stuck out my tongue before he could make some comment about how sweet I could be and blah blah.

"I really do think Mom would have loved to see you in our old home with your own family...she always loved the thought of you and Winry. Are you sure you don't need help in rebuilding it though? That sort of thing does require some knowledge in the skill...maybe we should hire someone?"

"I don't need help from some random idiot. It can't be nearly as hard as alchemy was. Any dumb ass can pick up a saw and building something!" I said confidently.

"Brother...the job does require more than just a saw and an over confident man..."

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! Besides, you have to be here and cover for me and keep that crazy woman up there distracted while I'm gone during the day. Maybe go bust up Eric's automail so she has something to do." I grinned, replaying the image of Eric getting his ass beat over and over in my head. I still believed he was out to have Winry as his own, the way he acted all charming and sincere...Hmph.

"So...you want her to spend time with him?" Alphonse laughed.

"Nevermind, bad idea..." I grimaced as the dirt bag's smiling face haunted my thoughts. I looked over to my younger brother and frowned. "Hey Al...you sure you don't want to rebuild a house of your own where Mom's used to be instead? I really don't mind." I said guilty. I couldn't help but feel like I was being selfish, but Alphonse shook his head and gave me a huge grin in return.

"Nahhh. I want you and Winry to have it. I won't be here as often since I plan on traveling to Xing quite a bit in the future."

I gave him a sly smile as I watched him turn pink from head to toe. I had known for quite some time that he had become fond of the princess, May Chang, and boy did I love teasing him about it.

"So, uh, May hmmm?" I smirked.

"Ed, don't be crass. Unlike you I consider myself to lead a less debauched lifestyle."

"DEBAUCHED?! ALPHONSE DON'T BE STUPID!" I growled and sat up. Alphonse only laughed at my reaction and clutched at his stomach. I crossed my arms and slumped back down, kicking a nearby dog toy. Den growled at me in response and got up from his resting spot to follow Alphonse out of the living room.

"I guess I should go make food for us since you're already cranky and that normally is an indication you need fed." He yelled from the kitchen.

"Whatever.." I mumbled in response.

"And don't go upstairs! Winry should be asleep by now. She needs to rest so her side can heal!"

"I'm not going to wake that gear head, calm the hell down."

"You're kind of loud in general Ed. I'm just asking for you to not have a short temper for only a of couple hours!"

"ALPHONSE! WHY THE HELL DOES EVERYONE CONTINUE TO CALL ME SHORT?! I'M TALLER THAN BOTH OF YOU! WE FUCKING MEASURED THE LAST TIME WE WERE HOME! ONE WHOLE FUCKING CENTIMETER TALLER AL! ONE BIG ASS CENTIMETER MORE THAN YOU! I CAN REACH FOR THINGS ON THE TOP SHELF ONE CENTIMETER MORE THAN YOU CAN!" I yelled into the kitchen. Alphonse peeped his head around the corner, glaring at me.

"Are you serious? What did I just say? Be quiet! Why don't you take Den on a walk? He's been stuck inside since Auntie left."

 _Oh No...he said the word..._ I heard the persistent noise of barking as Den's claws made noisy contact with the floorboards as he bounded up to me.

"No no no no! Den! No!" I begged.

But my pleas did nothing as the enormous mutt jumped in the air and tackled me to the ground, his tail wagging at his victory. I shielded my face from his dog breath as he panted happily.

"Walk?" I sighed, defeated. Den barked in response and licked the side of my face with approval. Despite his older age, he was still such a puppy.

"Yeah yeah don't get all sappy about it." I laughed and picked myself up from the floor. With one swift move, Den was out the door before I even had the chance to step out myself. It was good exercise for him at least to get around.

"I'll be back later Alphonse...you better save some rice for me."

"Pretty sure it's the other way around. I have to make sure to save rice for the rest of us before you devour all of it." He laughed, walking back into the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes and stomped my feet out the door with the anxious pup. Can't a guy eat 7 bowls of rice and NOT have to hear about it?

* * *

WINRY'S POV

I was awoken by the door creaking open. Rubbing my eyes awake, I felt my heart do a little jump in hopes that it was Edward. Even if he pissed me off earlier, I still felt such a strong need to be around him.

"Edward?" I called out to the door.

"Nope. It's the other Elric! The nicer one!"

"Hi Alphonse." I smiled wholeheartedly and chuckled. He really was so sweet and had such an amazing way with people. I knew that he would make a wonderful husband and father someday. I was so proud of the person he was and the man he had grown to be. No matter how old he got though - he would always be considered my little brother.

"I brought you some rice. You need to eat to gain some of that strength back!" He said cheerfully.

"I'm surprised there is any food left. Did your brother eat already?" I asked, peering over to the side to see if Edward was standing behind him. My heart sunk a little when I saw he wasn't there.

"Not yet, he took Den out for a long walk. I thought it was probably best for him to...go cool off a bit." Alphonse gulped and laughed nervously. I raised my eyebrows at his comment. Cool off? I guess he might have been mad at me for throwing my wrench at him...maybe that wasn't the best decision...however, he DID call me a demon. Never mind. He totally deserved it.

Alphonse walked over to my bedside and sat down, placing the tray of rice on my lap. He leaned over and fluffed my pillows for me and I couldn't help but grin at how cute he could be. I always wanted a younger sibling, and I was thankful that I had Alphonse in my life.

"Thank you Al." I said warmly. "You really are the kinder one! I honestly wonder how you and your brother are related sometimes...hahaha!"

"Ahhh well, Edward has his own sense of charm, but you already know that." He said and winked at me. I blushed slightly and grinned nervously.

"I guess you're right."

"You know...he really would do anything for you Winry. He would never admit his feelings for you when we were trying to get our bodies back, but it was evident to everyone how he felt. Every time I tried to get him to open up about it he would immediately backlash and go off on a tantrum."

"It was for the best that he didn't focus on me. You two had a lot on your plate. It was important for you both not to be distracted."

Alphonse scratched the back of his head.

"Wellllllll I wouldn't say he was always 100 percent of the time focused. When we did visit, or saw you at all, something changed in Edward. He got-"

"Even more snappy than usual?" I said with a mouthful of rice.

"Awe come on Winry, you know why he acts like that. Besides you two caused each other grief when we were teenagers...actually you both still do that." He laughed.

I stuck my tongue out at the younger man and laughed along with him. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes as I chewed happily on my food. Thank god for Alphonse or I'd probably be left to starve. I peered through my blinds and noticed the sky was already beginning to turn dark.

"Geez! How long was I out?!" I asked in astonishment. Laying in bed most of the day felt like such a waste, but I knew in order to start accomplishing anything I'd have to let my side heal...it was just hard not to be working.

"You slept most of the day after I took Edward downstairs earlier. Oh! I did have the neighbor lady come help dress you earlier though...She will be stopping by until Auntie gets back. Actually, she should be here soon to help you into the bath. I just thought you'd rather have another woman help you than Ed, so you can have your privacy." He smiled.

Ahhhh, so innocent.

"Thanks Al. I really appreciate it."

I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about Edward seeing me completely unclothed just yet, maybe if I wasn't injured...but isn't everyone nervous the first time someone they feel intimate about seeing them so exposed? I ate the last bite of rice from my bowl and placed it back down on the tray. Like clockwork, we both heard a knock on the front door. Alphonse hurriedly picked up my tray and hastily walked out of the room. I listened to his feet quickly hit each step on the way down the staircase and chuckled at hearing the loud thump of him missing the last stair. He could never touch the first step since we were kids, something about it being lava and I guess he just stuck to his routine.

I kicked off my sheets the best I could as I listened to Alphonse warmly greet the neighbor. She was an older woman, possibly 5 years younger than granny and kept herself busy helping at the nearest nursing home. I didn't know much about her except that she seemed like a kind soul and was widowed as of last year. My grandmother sometimes stopped by for a visit to see how she was carrying on.

From a distance I could hear Den's excited barks. Peering between the blinds, my heart fluttered at the sight of Edward walking down the path while the happy dog ran circles around him. I was so lost in watching him walk towards the house that I hadn't heard the soft footsteps climb the wooden steps.

"Winry dear?"

I withdrew quickly from the blinds like I had been a teenager caught spying and snapped my head towards the creaky door. I greeted her with a smile as she walked over to my bedside.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been...better." I chuckled. "How have you been doing? Granny said you were still working at the nursing home."

"Yes! It keeps me busy most days and folks there are good people."

She smiled and patted my leg gently as she sat down beside me in order to help me stand next to her. I winced on the count of three, but found myself happy with the ability to walk without reopening my wound...even if I had to move like a turtle. We took small steps towards the bathroom. I looked over my shoulder when I heard the front door open. Immediately my curiosity took over as I tried my best to strain my ear to listen to Edward, but it was to no avail.

"Okay kiddo, I'm going to lower you onto the edge of the tub for now, so you just sit tight while I draw up your bath."

The running water drowned out any possibility of hearing Ed and Al and I gave up on my endeavor to listen and focused on the steam rising from the warm water. It felt good against my skin and I found myself growing excited to get into the tub. A hot bath was honestly wonderful sounding. My neighbor closed the bathroom door softly and began to carefully help me undress. I flinched as the shirt slid over my head and quickly placed my arms down awkwardly to keep the stinging pain at bay. She carefully cut off my bandages and glanced over the severed skin.

"There's no sign of infection so that's good, but let's get this cleaned up first and covered up. It's not good to submerge the area in water just yet until it's healed up a bit more."

As she reached for the antiseptic, we both paused at the sound of a large crash from downstairs, followed immediately by Edward's profanity. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I continued to listen to Alphonse who appeared to be scolding his sibling for being impolite with a guest in the home.

"Sorry...that's Edward. He can be a bit rude at times." I said apologetically. She chuckled and shook her head.

"He's a young man, it's just a sign of lots of life thriving in him!"

We both laughed in unison at her statement and I nodded in agreement.

I tried my best not to jerk around as she cleaned my side, to which she apologized for the discomfort. Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused on listening to Edward and Alphonse's quarrels down below. After what felt like an eternity, she clapped her hands together in success and began bandaging my waist once more. Removing my last articles of clothing, she slowly helped in lowering me into the tub, the hot water only reached up to my legs but felt so inviting nonetheless. I began to feel dazed and let my thoughts wander as the older woman began washing my hair with the utmost care, as I was unable to raise my arms above my head without turning the bath water into the red sea. Yes, pun intended.

* * *

WINRY'S POV CONTINUED

"Are you sure you don't want a night shirt? It might get pretty cold tonight."

"No that's okay. It makes bathing and changing my bandages easier for tomorrow. It's just me in here so I don't mind sleeping in my undergarments." I said, attempting to hide a blush that I could feel creeping up to my cheeks. Technically speaking it WAS my room so one would assume it was just me sleeping in here right? She didn't really need to know about a certain grumpy blonde making possible nightly visits - to which I hoped would happen.

"Okie dokie. Well, if you need anything make sure you have those boys help you! I will be here tomorrow unless your grandmother comes home early, so if I'm not back you make sure you take care of yourself and say hi to Pinako for me, alright dear?"

I smiled and nodded as I watched her turn around and walk out the door where she was greeted by Alphonse and Edward at the doorway.

"Thank you so much for helping us with Winry. Can one of us accompany you to your home to make sure you get there safely?" Alphonse asked, looking at his brother who nodded.

"I'd be happy to walk with you." Edward chimed in.

I peered over at him surprised by his sudden sense of manners. He caught me staring at him and I almost gave myself whiplash by the speed of snapping my focus in a different direction. I heard the older woman chuckle.

"I'm a tough cookie, besides that little beauty over there needs you right now more than I do. I'll be just fine. The walk isn't very far anyways." She said, smiling warm heartedly. "I can see myself out, take care Winry!"

I sat up against my wall of pillows as Edward and Alphonse walked into the room. For the sake of poor Al, I curled my fingers around my covers and held the fabric up to my shoulders to avoid exposing myself in only a bra and panties. Edward shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall, his usual cranky frown back on his face.

"How ya feeling?" He asked.

"A little sore but I'm just thankful to be clean. I hate laying in bed all day...it makes me feel gross." I replied. My heart beat rapidly at the sight of him. His toned forearms were exposed from his rolled up sleeves and I couldn't help but steal a quick glance at his broad shoulders. Alphonse cleared his throat to grab my attention. Damn..he really was paying close attention to everything Ed and I were doing.

"So...I don't want to be in your business or anything, but you know how Auntie feels about...that..that..thing." He moved his feet awkwardly while avoiding eye contact with either of us. "Just...let me fall asleep first so I at least can say I was unaware!"

Edward scoffed at his younger sibling and started rubbing the back of his neck.

"Alphonse, just stop talking. Please. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Right! Uh...You must be tired still! Do you need anything else from us Winry?" He asked nervously, looking in my direction.

I looked over at Ed who was still scowling over the previous subject. Why was he so angry about EVERYTHING?

"No, I'm not really tired after sleeping all day..." I trailed off. "I'm pretty sure...I'll be exhausted soon though." I said, flicking my gaze back to the pouting man. His golden eyes softened at me and he raised his eyebrows curiously at my comment. Alphonse didn't sense the sudden attraction and smiled with relief.

"Good! Well then, we will see you in the morning! Come on brother!" Alphonse exclaimed happily, shuffling his older brother out the door.

"Yeah..." Edward said looking over his shoulder and staring at me inquisitively.

The lights flickered off and I immediately began timing Alphonse to fall asleep. Ever since he got his body back, he was no longer the light sleeper he used to be when we were children. And I did _**not**_ plan on sleeping anytime soon...

* * *

So this is the revision. I have to say that I like it A LOT better. Those of you that made the comment previously please let me know what you think about the changes now! I hope this is better! Thank you for being kind in your reviews! :) and please no flames!


	9. I Love You, Gear Head

Chapter 9! I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading my story!

* * *

EDWARD'S POV

I yawned and groggily looked at the clock on the wall. Despite my lethargic feelings I couldn't fall to sleep. Sleep used to come so easily to me, but now that I didn't have much stress I guess my body found rest no longer a necessity. I suppose you could say I got used to the adrenaline rushes of our journey to get our bodies back. Hell, I might even go as far as to say I had become addicted to the feeling of danger at times, but I enjoyed the sense of peace being at home too. It was strange - but a good and comfortable strange.

My thoughts were interrupted by the floorboards creaking from above me. Footsteps. And from the sound of it, they were coming from Winry's room. I sighed deeply and began rubbing my forehead. I felt Den's cold wet nose nudge my hand and he began to whine.

"Yeah I know I'll check go check on her."

I pat his head gently and stood from the comfort I found on the couch, stretching my arms above my head. Honestly, being back at home with Winry...it was a whole new whirlwind on its own. Being around her was a rush in itself with having to dodge her life-threatening tools she hurled at my skull, so was I REALLY in less danger? Maybe it was one of the many reasons I found her so alluring...

I shook my head from my thoughts as I made my way up the old staircase, attempting to dodge all the creaks and groans of the wooden steps. She should've been asleep by now, and most definitely not walking around. Why the hell did she have to be so stubborn? I thought back to my mother laughing at the two of us when we were young children. She used to say how I had met my match when it came to Winry. I didn't quite understand what she meant back then, but had my dear mother been alive today - she would have witnessed that Winry...was clearly way more obstinate than myself.

I chuckled softly and grabbed onto the banister to hoist myself upwards, skipping the last few steps. I reached for the doorknob to her room and slowly eased it open. Peering my head in I looked around to find any suspicious activity, I didn't know what she was up to and I wasn't about to be caught with my guard down, but the only thing that greeted me was the dim light from the lamp in the corner. I stuffed one hand in my pocket and looked around the room. The bed was distraught with covers and pillows scattered on the floor.

"What the hell?" I said to myself and raised my eyebrows at the displacement. Winry was nowhere in sight. I heard an eerie noise come from the door and looked over my shoulder to see that it was closing on me. I sighed as I realized the position I had just placed myself in when my eyes caught sight of a barely clothed blonde female staring back at me.

"So do you just not wear clothes anymore? Because this seems to be an ongoing occurrence with you since I got here." I scoffed. Part of me wanted to hit myself in the face. Why did I always come off so snarky and annoyed? To my surprise she didn't lash back, not a single sarcastic retort...instead she placed a hand on her hip and let her lips form a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at her in question to her odd behavior. Really...she wasn't going to fight back? Our usual tango of who has the most vicious rhetoric?

"Winry...?"

"Are you saying you don't like my attire?" She asked sweetly, which wasn't exactly in her taste.

Okay...what. the. fuck. I didn't budge from my stance. Something just didn't feel right. My body felt confused between excitement, suspicion and hell - a little bit of fear. I looked incredulously at her and scanned the room to see where her wrench was. I pulled at the collar of my shirt, feeling extremely hot all of the sudden. Winry was waiting for a reply and my brain was just not functioning. I figured I had two options really, continue to be sarcastic (my comfort zone) or I could do what a blessed man should do given the opportunity with someone like her...

"Wear whatever the hell you want then." I scoffed. Ah...you fucking idiot. You stupid stupid stupid asshole...

I watched Winry's face fall and she bit her lip nervously as the atmosphere grew awkward. We stood there as a tormenting silence fell between us. Her hands gripped at her side as she slowly began taking little steps towards her bed. I might have not been the expert on romancing her, but I flew to her side with such a track worthy speed to ensure her safety. With one swift motion I had her cradled in my arms with absolute care to avoid any further injury and softly lowered her to the swarm of pillows she had on her bed. I may not be smooth with words, but credit can be given to my actions speaking for me that I cared for her.

"Jack ass." She muttered. I decided not to fight her on it due to the statement holding a lot of truth at the moment.

"Yeah, I am."

I sat down beside her slender frame, letting my eyes drift towards her long toned legs. I cleared my throat and began laughing nervously when she caught me staring at her body after all.

"Why do you do that?" She asked me. I looked at her curiously as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Do what?"

"You can look at me you know."

"I am looking at you."

"No, ugh! Ed! You know what I mean. We are obviously attracted to each other. We've already cleared that up. Why do you keep making it so awkward?"

"Because you've been doing awkward things since I got here!" I stated flatly. Why couldn't I get this right? She responded with a look of annoyance and pinched her temples in frustration.

"Honestly am I always going to be the one to have to make a move in order for us to go forward?"

I felt my face heat up and pondered at her question. She wasn't exactly wrong. I guess the only time I really did make a...well, move, is when I was intoxicated. I suspected that shouldn't count though. I had been holding back feelings for her for so long that I hadn't yet let my defenses down. It WAS okay for us to be together now, I had done what I had set out to do. I had no reason to keep my feelings hidden any longer or hold back from the life I wanted with her. I've looked nightmares in the eye and for some strange cause I didn't have the guts to proceed with Winry despite previous events and the train station.

"Ed...?"

I felt her place her hand on my arm, but my inner battle with myself persisted on. Everyone knew. Everyone had KNOWN that I was in love with her. Hawkeye who had barely witnessed any affection between the two of us noticed it right away and called me out on it. I knew that Winry was the one for me, but I had a promise to Alphonse that kept my mind busy from the thought of her and I.

"Edward are you listening to me?" She said annoyed.

Crap. I needed to do something! There was no reason to hold back anymore! Damn it what was wrong with me! Why the hell couldn't my brain work!?

"Ed!"

I growled in frustration and turned my body towards her on the bed. Pushing away every single thought and debate in my head, I let my body take over since my brain refused to function and kissed her. I felt her lips let out a small squeak at my sudden, and for me, quite daring gesture. Kissing her felt right. It felt like everything I wanted to say to her was in the simplicity of our lips being in contact. I felt Winry begin to pull away, and the sudden sensation of her lips being away from mine made me overwhelmed with my greed to have them back. I moved quickly and captured her lips hungrily. I felt all sense of control diminish and every time she attempted to pull away for air I hastily had them against mine again. I continued this until my lungs felt ready to burst and was forced to break for air. Feeling an immense amount of confidence I refused to break eye contact from her. I could tell she was just as unsatisfied as I was from the mirrored passion that reflected in her eyes.

"Winry Rockbell, I have loved you since the day I met you."

The words had barely left my mouth before I saw something snap in her gaze and we were immediately kissing again. I welcomed fully the strange new sensation that took over me. I really can't explain it except to admit that I've never felt so alive in my life. Winry did something to my body that only she was ever capable of doing. I felt her moan into my lips and grab on my shirt, yanking me closer. I bit her lower lip, feeling my skin go on fire from the intensity of our bodies desiring to be closer. Somehow underneath all the passion, I remembered to watch out for her injured side - the only thing keeping me from ravaging her at the moment. It was only natural for me to crave Winry in that way, but I didn't want it to just be about me lusting for her, I wanted to make her feel incredible in ways she made my body feel because I loved her. My head grew light at the thought of having sex that I hadn't noticed Winry climbing up onto my lap.

"Win. Your...mm. Side." I managed to breathe out between her kisses, but she ignored my statement. I was a little afraid to look at it since Winry was being so careless about it, I found it likely she had made herself bleed again. Her kisses had become so deep in passion that my back hit the wall with a thud. She leaned away from my lips, giving me a chance to take it all in. Her legs were straddling my waist while her hair was flowing disheveled from our eager need for the other. My eyes widened at the sight of her bandages and I gasped.

"Winry we have to stop! Look at your side! I told you to be careful!"

But she was not having it. Quickly grabbing my wrists, she ignored my pleas and brought my hands to cup her breasts. She paused and waited for my response.

"Ughhhh Winry..." I growled. My brain and body were at war with each other; one side was reminding me of the old hag and my promise, along with Winry's side, the other was only able to respond to her mischievous tactics. I heard her giggle and became even more annoyed. She was dangling my life in front of my eyes - she clearly wanted her grandmother to skin me alive. I regretfully removed my hands from her chest and held her shoulders to grasp her attention. She frowned at my decision and sighed deeply.

"Edward."

"Do you want Pinako to kill me?!"

"Is that why you keep stopping us?"

"You're right. I've only been through hell just to finally come home and be killed off because I slept with you before I married you. What the hell am I thinking?" I scoffed.

"Don't be sarcastic!"

"You want another reason? You want us to do freaking acrobats on the bed while your side isn't even healed up! Throwing yourself all over me like this!"

Winry's eyes widened and a blush appeared rapidly across her cheeks. Okay so maybe I was a bit drastic on how active we had gotten on the bed, but I had every right to be cranky! I'm not the greatest at displaying romantic emotions but the abuse she was putting my body through lately was unbearable. My thoughts were interrupted by Winry undoing my ponytail and running her fingers through my hair.

"Will you at least sleep here tonight?" She asked, her eyes getting big and hopeful.

"I hate when you put that face on."

"Whyyyyy?" She laughed. She knew exactly why. That same puppy-eyed look cost me a pretty penny at Rush Valley every time we took her there. How many tools did the woman freaking need? I sighed in defeat and she wrapped her arms around me once discovering she had won the battle.

"BUT! WE ARE SLEEPING WINRY."

"Yes, yes. I'll be good! Hahahaha!"

I raised my eyebrows at her, holding no amusement in the situation.

"I don't trust you, woman."

She continued laughing and I couldn't help but grin at the sight of her beautiful smile. That same smile that always welcomed us home and encouraged us every step of the way. Winry really was one remarkable human being.

I cautiously scoot myself upwards while balancing Winry on my lap, only to clunk my head on the wall in the process and causing her to chuckle at my clumsiness. Instructing her to hold onto me, I stood up with her in my arms, wincing at how tight her legs squeezed around my waist.

"What are you doing?" She asked me as I placed her down on top of her dresser. I opened up her end table and took out the roll of white bandages.

"Your inability to resist me has your wound in need of attending to." I smirked at her. She blushed and looked away.

"Maybe I do want to sleep by myself!"

"No you don't." I laughed and leaned in to kiss her softly on the neck, smiling at the chills I caused to her skin by the simple contact. What was meant to be as innocent soon turned into Winry and I in a frenzy of kisses all over again. Her dresser thud loudly against the wall a few times before I reluctantly pulled away, panting.

"We are going to wake up Alphonse and the last thing he wants to hear is us." I whispered in frustration, grabbing the nearby bandages and once more attempting the first task at hand.

"You started it this time! I know what was going through your head when you were twisting your fingers in my bra straps!"

"You removed my pants!"

"And you took off your shirt all on your own. But hey, we aren't having sex tonight remember?" She winked at me and rubbed her leg dangerously close to my member.

I looked away embarrassed, were we always going to be this easily flustered?

"I always sleep in my boxers." I scowled and began removing the blood-stained bandages. I proceeded wrapping her waist with the clean ones...which with our track record would probably need changed in a few hours anyways.

"Hey Ed..."

"Hm?" I looked up from her side and instantly was overtaken by the softness of her lips.

"I love you."

I smirked at her and she hit my arm playfully in response. We both always knew in the back of our minds how we felt this whole time, but it felt so strangely comfortable and relieving to finally be able to say it.

"I love you too, gear head."

* * *

Sorry it took me a bit to get the next chapter up! Thank you for reading and being patient with me. Please no flames. Thanks!


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